Black Star
by Vaindaos
Summary: Heroes aren't born – they are made. Sonic is the hero of Mobius, but Shadow ... he is the hero of the galaxy, and most importantly, of Sonic. How will he survive with Shadow gone? SONADOW.
1. Young Love Murdered

**— Black Star —**

* * *

**Note!**

First and foremost, this is a **Sonadow** fic. This means Shadow x Sonic. If you do not like the coupling or yaoi to begin with, leave now. Use the common sense you were born with.

Secondly, characters may seem oddly out of character at times. This is because they will need to be. For example, after losing Shadow, Sonic can't be expected to be all bright and cheery. It would be irrational as well as boring. No drama is like fruit without flavour.

Lastly, there won't be many notes such as this. I like to commonly just post chapters without a journal at the beginning.

Back to business. This fic will contain drama, character depression and at times, good for nothing plotless points. It all makes it work in the end! You know, spice everything up before the stupendous climax! ... Or something along those lines.

* * *

_**Prologue****– **_******Y********oung Love Murdered**

* * *

_"CHAOS CON—!"_

"_No_! Shadow, _stop_! We can't waste the last of our resources! We need to wait—"

A growl emitted as the response, blazing ruby eyes glaring straight at the illuminated golden hedgehog. "We may not have more _time_ to wait. This needs to end _now_."

Usually bright emerald green eyes, which had taken on a deep bronze hue, matched the piercing stare of the other lit up hedgehog floating beside him, determination portrayed through his astounding visage. "I know that, Shads, but we have to wait! Just _listen_ to me—"

But the hedgehog known as Shadow wasn't listening. His thoughts began to trail off the moment his sun shining yellow counterpart started to speak. He could see his mouth moving, but he heard no sound. He wanted to hear his voice, but something in his mind had blocked out everything that could pose a threat of sabotaging his final, potentially fatal, plan. Nothing could become a distraction because one wrong move would destroy his life, as well as everything else. _'No, my friend. I fail to listen but with good reasons. There is something I must do—I must do this alone. You simply aren't part of the equation.'_

"—and _then_ is when we'll strike. Did you follow all that?" The other smiled a smile so bright that it dazzled Shadow, like it commonly did. There was something so carefree and warming that it drew everyone in – even complete strangers. His smile was one of the purest he had the pleasure of beholding. "Alright Shads! Ready everything you have—this is our final showdown! We'll surely receive a standing ovation for this!"

Shadow chuckled inwardly, secretly adoring the spunky personality the other possessed. It was what first drew him to the hedgehog – not to mention the fact he was the only other that could keep up with him when running. There was much he adored about the glowing other, being from his overly optimistic nature to the never-ending desire to help those too weak to fend for themselves. There wasn't a bad bone in his body and his heart was the purest of all other life. He was Sonic the Hedgehog, and he was very willing to give his life in order to spare millions of others.

That was something Shadow wouldn't allow.

"If this thing explodes then we'll all die! We have to move—_now Shadow_!" Sonic threw his hands up in the air, standing strong in the presence of danger and death. "_Chaos Con_—"

Shadow vanished before Sonic, amber orbs widening at the abrupt surge of pain in his lower abdomen. His eyes grew widen and slowly returned to their original jade green at the shock of what he saw, and from the power of the blow sending the last of his strength out of his body, along with his breath. A golden glow surrounded the fist plunged harshly in his stomach, attached to an all-too familiar face. Shadow's expression held no remorse for his action; it held relief and a bittersweet sorrow.

"Sh-Shadow, wh-what—?"

"Forgive me, but I can't allow another I hold so dear to perish before my very eyes. This was never a decision for you to make Sonic—it was always _mine_."

"N-_no_ ..."

"Try not to get yourself killed, faker. Otherwise this would have been for nothing."

A small smirk quirked the golden hedgehog's mouth before Sonic lost consciousness. The then azure Mobian gradually fell away from the others fist of iron, but not before a sad smile crossed his face and a chaste, grief fuelled caress was placed upon the comatose hedgehog's forehead. All grip between them finally snapped and Sonic was left to the mercy of space to hover back to the ship his twin-tailed companion built. Shadow watched him float away before he initiated his plan – destroy that thing and save the only thing that mattered to him in the entire, damned universe.

"This is the only way—I am Shadow the Hedgehog: the Ultimate Life Form! Your end will be by my hand, and mine alone, cretin! _DIE_!"

Shadow dashed towards the enemy, more than ten times the size of himself, but that never disconcerted him. He had demolished annoyances with much more power than himself with a flick of his smallest finger – that wasn't about to change anytime soon. Besides, this time, he wasn't doing it only for himself.

This time, he had something worth fighting, and dying, for.

"_CHAOS CONTROL!_"

His voice echoed though the empty blackness that was space and in a flash of blinding white light, he and the threat was gone. That was the last time Shadow the Hedgehog was seen.

That was also when the fiery anger towards a certain someone of Sonic the Hedgehog began.

**. . . . .**

**he-ro** /ˈhi(ə)rō/

Noun: 1. a person, typically a man, who is admired for courage or noble qualities.  
2. the chief male character in a book, play, or movie, who is typically identified with good qualities.

A word thrown around like an everyday item of clothing.

There are many types of heroes; a vast range of do-gooders to claim the title of hero without proving much of anything. Some earn the salutation by numerous good deeds of charity or simple good-will. Others put themselves in harm's way in order to rescue a weaker being from danger. The majority of life forms that claim that title, however, deserve it in no way. They sneak around, setting up dangers to make themselves look fantastic, putting up a facade for the rest of the world to believe. Only those with a truly perceptive eye won't be fooled by the deception, but as the days pass, fewer of those personalities exist. They are all slowly being wiped out from fear of standing up to those with power, or from not wanting to break from the moulded crowd.

I never really fit in with any crowd. I sort of did my own thing, in my own time. That once got me called a hero, but nowadays, a hero isn't needed. The world was at peace at last. No more wars, no more pain. Just peace and tranquillity.

Yet, no one remembers just _how _or _why_ the world received this blessing. Only I and a small number of others know truly just how we claimed back our rightful freedom – sometimes I feel _I'm_ the one that remembers. My entire group was there the day independence was gained, but I was the one _really_ there. I saw him gaze at me with those life-filled eyes, with that desperately agonised smile. I was the one that witnessed his final words and kept them for only myself to know. They all thought he taunted me to the very end, but little did they know he sacrificed his entity for one, specific objective: to keep _me_ alive.

I was devastated upon waking to find him not there, smirking down at me, questioning why I was slacking on the job. I was mortified to find one of his golden rings he kept about his wrists at all times – the only part of him I ever found. I was outraged to comprehend just how selfish and selfless he had been simultaneously. Selfless for his sacrifice, selfish for leaving me here without him. Without his cocky, self-assured smirk to challenge my every move.

It's quite amusing looking back; I used to be the cocky, arrogant one with the need of constant freedom and a carefree lifestyle. Free to go wherever the wind took me, this was once my motto. Now it's live or die from depression.

They don't realise that I wear a mask every day. They think that I'm my usual, bubbly self. Except for Amy. She noticed straight away that I was different, uncharacteristically odd. My moods would change rapidly, my anger dominating any other emotion until it was quelled. I still haven't calmed it entirely, every now and then I run to expel it.

A year has passed since he was killed. A year of finding it hard to grieve and forget about the pinhead. But I can't move on – I can't forget _him_. He was by my side through so much and to have him so viciously taken from me makes me wonder what I did wrong, what karma was taking its vengeance on me. Had I done something so terrible to deserve such devastation? I couldn't recall anything, but in the end, the choice was out of my hands. He made his decision and acted on it ...

How _dare_ he leave me here alone. My anger is rightful, my depression is adamant. But I must still smile. For their sakes, I must ...

Heroes are hard to come by in this modern age. Liars and posers jump forth eagerly to shout their slanderous claims to the Heavens. The true heroes hide away, or have been erased from history.

He was one of them; a _hero_. He took his own life in order to save the galaxy, and he did it with outstanding courage and undiluted compassion.

My name is Sonic the Hedgehog and I am the hero of Mobius. His name was Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Life Form, and he is _my_ hero.

* * *

**_. . . To be continued._**


	2. Wide Awake

_**Part I – **_**Wide Awake**

* * *

Angel Island was a well known place.

A world famous Echidna resided there, along with the largest gem known to most Mobian's – the Master Emerald. The Guardian of the Master Emerald was a red echidna, known to many as Knux, Knucklehead or 'that gullible moron', was _actually_ called Knuckles the Echidna, and he prided himself on being the sole keeper of the impressive stone. His infamous temper was what kept thieves at bay – none dared tango with the deceptively strong critter; they quite liked keeping their heads, thank you very much!

Although, there was one who dared spark the flame that ignited his rage. Her name was Rouge the Bat, and she was a treasure hunter. As close as they were – friends, some would call them – she would try endlessly to get her hands on the prize of a lifetime. Knuckles did his very best to foil each plan she conjured. Once, she almost got away with it, if not for the silly little rabbit girl who called her out.

Not that she minded. After all, playing games with the echidna was fun. Hell, sometimes she tried to ravage him of his precious emerald solely for the amusement. Ever since _he_ went away, her company was limited. She had to make the most of what she had.

He was a cold, sinister being when they first met, but over time, his steely, seemingly impenetrable walls began to soften, all from the antics of one blue, cheerful hedgehog. She recalled him telling her of the first time they met, how infuriating the speedster was, of how much his persistent delightfully cheery personality made him feel like vomiting. He spoke of nothing but how terrible the arrogant blue hedgehog was, and how he would quite willingly end the nuisance's existence ... but yet, he also explained at how he was puzzled at the feeling of _wanting_ to see the hedgehog again. He said he felt almost entranced by the possibility of meeting him again.

Rouge smiled at the thought. Little did he know that he had become ensnared in the sneaky trap that was called 'love'. It had been like one would see in the movies; love at first sight, without even realising. She had always found him wanting to challenge his self-proclaimed rival, raring to go find him if he didn't see the prankster for more than two days absence at a time.

Sonic was always more than willing to compete with him. After all, it was in his nature to be competitive. That only provoked him into wanting to compete with the Hero of Mobius. He felt the urge to prove he was indeed what everyone referred to him as; the "Ultimate Life Form." If Sonic was a so-called "Hero", then he would have no problem proving to him just _why_ he had the title. Thus, numerous races and brawls occurred over the next few months of them meeting. Neither one was ever bored of the other – it wasn't everyday that you had a counterpart to match your unbeatable speed.

Each of them wanted to outdo the other, but in the end, it only drew them closer. It was a fierce rivalry, but something more ferocious was planned. Destiny had a funny way of showing up unexpectedly, so when he sacrificed himself for the entire Earth at the ARK incident, no one predicted that the near-on indestructible hedgehog would survive. Sonic was the most pleased; his rival _and _secret lover had returned.

Rouge smirked at the thought of their affection being 'secret'. It was the worst kept secret. She was the first to find out when he confided in her one day. He was extremely puzzled by his raging emotions for the blue blur, inquiring about what was right and wrong. That was one of the only times she had seen him so vulnerable to 'silly human feelings', the other was when Sonic had almost lost his life saving him; he was distraught, outraged and stricken with relief all at once. It made her wonder how he could cope with all his new found feelings without at least stressing out once.

_'... Shadow, you were always a strange one,'_ the bat mused internally, flapping her ebony wings every once in a while to remain in flight. Her destination was in sight, she just needed to stick the landing perfectly. Last time she had almost fallen _off_ of the floating island – Knuckles would have _never_ let her live that down. _'That Knucklehead had better be grateful to see me. I've been travelling for a while to come and visit him—personally! Oh the inconvenience of no longer having Shadow—no instant Chaos Control.'_

Her mind fell silent as she began the slow descent to Angel Island. Twilight had arrived and the sun was setting in a glorious array of golden-red hues, giving way to the darkness of the night. Gliding surely, she aimed to land on the impressive alter that housed the Master Emerald, and more commonly, Knuckles. Naturally, landing in style was a must, thus upon becoming close enough to land, she flipped over in mid-air and landed on the stony alter with asmall _thud _as her boots collided with the solid floor. She folded her arms and stood there patiently, waiting ... when a sudden figure came bolting up the stairs to the altar, teeth bared, ready to pummel the one on _his_ land.

"_Get the hell off of my_—Rouge?"

The echidna fell short of his raging beat-down and blinked dumbly at the glamorous intruder. He would never admit how attractive she was – not in a _million_ years – but that didn't prevent him from losing all sense of his words when speaking to her the majority of the time.

"Long time no see, hot stuff!" Her voice echoed as a literal purr. If Knuckles hadn't have been naturally red, she would bear witness to him fighting back a vicious blush. Striding closer to him, she paused to lean against the Master Emerald, eliciting a small growl from him. Holding up her hands in a peaceful motion, she restrained from touching the glowing gem, seeing the Guardian visibly relax. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"What brings you here, bat?" Knuckles demanded, folding his arms, minding the spikes upon his gloved hands. "Usually, you come here and try to take the Master Emerald—_are you_?" His tone was accusing, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Rouge barely restrained from rolling her eyes at the red one; it would only promote his irritation. "No, Knuckles, I'm not here for the jewel. I actually came to talk to you." She pulled a wondering expression. "However, now that you mention it ..."

Knuckles snarled with his hands balled into fists. "Don't you think about it bat!" Then her previous words sunk in. "You came to talk to me? About what?"

"Sonic."

His expression softened, his anger depleting. Rouge had been the last one to see the blue speedster in little over three weeks. The Hero of Mobius was getting harder to track with each passing day, and he didn't like being alone. So for Sonic to deliberately avoid contact with others meant that something was wrong.

_'Then again, since that day ...'_

"Have you heard anything of him recently?" Knuckles asked, slight concern laced within his quietened tone. "Has anyone?"

Rouge shook her head, sighing. "Tails said that even _he_ rarely sees hair or hide of him. Considering the fact that he shares living quarters with the kit, you'd have thought he would know more. But, if Tails doesn't know, we will _never_ know."

Knuckles unfolded his arms, bringing one of his gloved hands to stroke at his chin thoughtfully. "Where could he possibly go where no one would find him? I've not even heard from Eggman lately—_that's_ saying something."

The bat nodded in agreement. "It's like with Sonic gone, he's lost motivation to overturn this planet to become his Empire."

The Guardian didn't respond. Instead, he faced away from Rouge, pondering deeply at the possible whereabouts of the elusive blue hedgehog. They could search the world for years and still not know, because when Sonic wanted to do something, he followed through with his plan _very_ efficiently.

If Sonic wanted to disappear, any trace of him would vanish alongside him. No one would ever see him again.

**. . . . .**

He was running.

It was all he could do lately to distract his tormented mind from its dark, depressing thoughts. If he stopped, his thoughts and memories would catch up with him, and he would break down in utter despair. He supposed he was already had meant to do that, since losing _him_. Losing him hurt more after finding him alive again, only to have him taken with one vicious swipe. A year of running and the thought of him still wanted to make him drown in his sorrow.

A year of undiluted agony to catch up with him if he ever stopped running.

But he had to stop soon – his body had been drained of all energy and stamina. Soon, he would crash heavily back in to reality and when that happened, only the Gods of Chaos could save him.

He had no idea of his location. He just knew that he could run for a long time without needing to slow to avoid a sudden river of cliff edge. It almost, at times, felt like he was running in a constant circle ... His surroundings were remotely familiar at times, but he was never quite sure.

_'I just—I can't stop. I have to continue. If I stop, I remember. If I remember, I will fall. I can't stop!'_

Therefore, he kept on going, on and on. He didn't know any other way of escaping his demons baring using his famous speed. He could feel the lethargic state threatening to overwhelm his current state of mind and body. He felt his speed slowing, and gradually, panting heavily, he slowed so drastically that he was then at a walking pace. His form ached, his heart the most. It ached _and_ hurt. Ached from the unnecessary strain he had put on it for the past few weeks. In pain from the memory of the only one to _ever_ match his speed. Sometimes he even wondered if he had been faster than _him_.

Now he would never know. He was _gone_.

_'No, not now! I've gone so long—not now!' _He fell to his knees, the evening rain pitter-patting down around him, blocking out all other sounds. His breath came in harsh, short bursts, his eyes stinging from the threat of tears wanting to cascade down his lightly-tanned, furry cheeks. _'Why now? Why do I have to crash so suddenly? Why? Why Shadow? Why did you leave me? **WHY**?'_

His blue fur was matted down by the downpour, his form becoming numb from the cold and the flood of negative emotions pouring out from his very, damaged, soul. He stared hard at the dirty ground below with wide, pained eyes, tears dripping freely from the corners of his haunted jade-green eyes. His hands became fists, gripping the grassy patches underneath, ripping them part-way out of the mud. His figure shook with each deep, heart-wrenching breath he took. It hurt to breathe; it hurt for his body to _live_. It hurt him to _live_ when his beloved other was _not_.

_'There's just so much we had to do, Shadow. You were taken from me so unfairly ... so bravely ... I hate you! I hate you for leaving me here! I hate you for being so selfless! I hate you!' _

With the grass still firmly grasped within his fists, he lifted his hands up, de-rooting the grass simultaneously, and struck them back down on the ground heavily, releasing his pent-up misery, wishing nothing more for the very floor to swallow him whole, to end his suffering.

_'Shadow, if you can hear me, know this—I hate you! How dare you leave me here alone, after everything that we've been through together—everything! How could you—how could you choose them over me ...'_

He never prided his selfish side, but he had never needed someone as much as he did then. He was known to be carefree and selfless – his adamant personality – but everyone has their own little devils whispering in their ears, telling them to take what they want and never let it go. Why had he not listened the one time his inner devil had popped up, screeching at him to claim _him _before it was too late; before he lived to regret it. And boy, did he regret it.

Sometimes, he wished that Shadow had condemned the world just to be by his side. It was on those days that he ran. Ran from his internal demons and self-centred wishes. He would never have sacrificed the world for his happiness, but by the Heavens, didn't he _deserve_ a little bit of joy? It was just unfair. He was unfairly taken.

He released the grass from his vice-like grip, the strands dropping to the floor like little weights, pulled to the earth faster through gravity and being wet. Curling on in himself, he pulled his head in, minding his hands on his spines, his knees bent and tucked in tightly, resembling a foetal position. He needed a friend more than ever at that point, but he knew that no one would likely find him.

He would just drown in his own sorrows. Even the Heaven's felt his pain, as the rain that day had only started when he knew that he would break.

**. . . . .**

The rain was a pest. Rouge was currently sheltered underneath one of the many trees scattered about Angel Island, wanting nothing more than to be on one of the many tropical beaches that the land below offered. She only thought of those crazy Detective's dozing merrily beneath a gloriously sunny evening. She envied them at that point, shaking off watery remnants from her fur and clothes.

"This weather changes as often as your mood does, Knuckles," Rouge commented casually, wringing out a particularly damp patch of her outfit.

Knuckles, not amused, put a hand on his hip and gave the bat a dirty look. "You're one to talk. But yes, it is strange how quickly the weather changes recently ... very absurd at times ..."

While the echidna went back into his 'deep' thoughts, Rouge shook her head; Knuckles thinking deeply usually meant that something unfortunate would follow. As gullible as the Guardian was, he knew his Island like his own essence. If something was amiss, he would know. Except ...

"Hey, someone's out there!"

Knuckles did a double-take, dispelling his train of thoughts with a quick head shake and gawked out in the direction that she was pointing. Sure enough, a lone figure was braving the wilds of the storm, thumping their hands against the floor as though it did them wrong.

"What lunatic would be out in this weather?" the echidna drawled, unimpressed by the stranger hitting his adored dirt. "He must be out of his mind."

"What makes you assume it's male?" Rouge was curious. Knuckles was far from being the perceptive one.

"Easy, a girl wouldn't be out in this weather." He folded his arms smugly, smirking, enticing a face-palm from his winged companion. "So, back to the stranger; why is _he_ here?"

She shrugged. "Perhaps he was unaware of the Island's occupier not liking visitors?"

"Probably. Not many people remember now."

"Well, it doesn't seem like he will any time soon."

Knuckles raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

"He looks like he just fainted." Rouge pointed at the figure, and sure enough, he was on the floor, stagnated.

The echidna growled in annoyance; why was it always on his Island? There were plenty more islands for others to inhabit. This was his home, damnit! "Damn fools. They venture here without thinking of the consequences of being found by me, or about the temperamental weather!" He threw his hands up in the air out of frustration. "Why is it _always_ me?"

"You must have that sociable aura about you."

"Shut up," he muttered, striding out from the shelter of the trees and towards the immobile Mobian. "He had better have a decent excuse or I'll pay a little visit to my dear friend, Chaos—" His words halted in his throat at the figure becoming clearer as he neared. Faltering in his step drew a frown across the bat's face and she called to him, only to receive silence. Knuckles stepped quietly, quickly, as to not startle the still-awake figure, revealing itself to be the one they had all been looking for. "S-Sonic?! Are you mad? Get up and out of the rain!"

The trembling form curled beneath him only shook his azure spiked head, attempting to become a tighter ball. His hands were shaking furiously – from the cold or something else, Knuckles couldn't guess – and he was filthy. The mud left that the rain couldn't remove coated each tip of his spines, his feet and his hands. The Guardian had never seen his speedy friend in such a state before, especially not out in any type of liquefied weather. The hedgehog he knew _hated_ water.

"Sonic, get up." He received no reply, no acknowledgement of evening knowing that he was there. "Sonic—get up or I'll have to carry you." A remark such as that would normally force the blue blur to his feet, ordering Knuckles to 'back off' or he'll 'kick his butt' if he tried. But no, nothing. Not even a murmur. Sonic merely continued to stare at nothing bleakly. With the choice of leaving his comrade to perish underneath the watery onslaught, or risk getting punched in the face from moving him without permission, Knuckles decided on the latter – he would not allow Sonic to die from hypothermia. Slowly, he knelt next to the shivering ball of blue fuzz and secured a grip underneath the hedgehog's knees and deadly-sharp spines. The last thing he wanted was to cut off his own arm in the process. Once certain of his hold, he raised up, bringing the limp form of Sonic with him. He was startled by how light he was and how flaccid his ligaments were. It was almost like he had given up on the fight with life. "Sonic ..."

Without a sound, the Guardian hastily retreated back to the cover of the tree branches from the relentless downpour to a concerned looking Rouge upon recognising the form in his arms. With a gasp of horror, she put a hand over her mouth to mask further sounds of disbelief.

"Why—_what_—Knuckles?" She tried to make sense of Sonic's condition. But it didn't make sense for the blue blur to be so... lifeless. "What would make him do this?"

Knuckles looked down to study the feeble form in his arms. Sonic continued to stare blankly ahead of him, with no real feel for reality. An obsidian hedgehog with an arrogant smile danced in his line of vision. "Shadow."

His answer was simple, yet remarkably complex.

_Shadow_ was the reason why Sonic no longer willingly visited his friends. _Shadow_ was the reason why Sonic barely smiled anymore. _Shadow_ was the reason for Sonic's erratic behaviour and moods.

_Shadow_ was the reason for _everything_.

**. . . . .**

Sonic felt warm. Cosy almost. So comfortable, in fact, that he was very unwilling to move from his current position. He knew he had been sleeping, and that he was just waking, but the day could wait a little longer for him to rise. After all, it wasn't like he had much reason to wake any more. The planet was at peace. No more wars, no fighting, no monsters. Even Eggman had allegedly vanished from existence. Tails occasionally required help with errands and such. Knuckles never admitted he ever wanted help, or company. Rouge had better things to do and Amy – well, she was just Amy.

_'Everyone seems so content. I just—I don't know what to do with myself anymore. Knux is always busy. Tails doesn't need my help—he's a self-proclaimed genius! I refuse to help Rouge with heisting. Eggman just isn't around to harass me! And Shadow ... Shadow is ...'_

His heart thumped in his chest, aching, constantly in pain. Thoughts of Shadow always brought on a depressive state of mind. Rolling over on whatever he was laying on, the blue hedgehog sighed deeply, finally forcing an eye to crack open. An emerald iris peered about the room he was in, only for both to shoot open in surprise – he was in his own room at his shared condo with Tails!

_'How did I get here? The last I remember I was on the floor on Knuckles beloved Island ... How did I ...?'_

Pushing himself upright, Sonic gazed at the familiar furniture and all of his belongings. He hadn't been in his room for at least three weeks – it seemed Tails had left it untouched, not one to evade on one's privacy.

_'I must say, that's something I love about my little bro. He knows what's right and wrong. Too bad I can't seem to dictate the difference lately ... I've been so wrapped up in my own little head.'_

Voices were outside of his door. Frowning, Sonic pinpointed them, recognising each one of his friends; Knuckles, Tails and Rouge. Knuckles was prominently louder than the other two, with the frequent exception of Rouge when she disagreed strongly. Sonic sat quietly, zoning in on what exactly had the conversation so heated.

"—he can't keep himself locked up all the time, Tails. It's suffocating him."

Knuckles.

"Yeah, I know, but he's just so tender at the moment!"

Tails.

"I agree with the squirt. He's obviously in a vulnerable state of mind and needs to be monitored."

Rouge.

Knuckles snapped his response, seemingly getting bored of the conversation. "I _know_ this! But I also know Sonic, and he despises being cooped up like an infant!"

"Well, what do you suggest we do, Knuckles?" Tails cried out, on the verge of tears. Sonic was his best friend and he wanted nothing more than to help make him better. "I hate seeing him like this more than anyone, and nothing I do does anything!"

Small sobs followed the young kit's declaration. Sonic couldn't erase the guilt portrayed on his features or in his mind. Tails had done everything in his power for the past year to aid in pulling Sonic from his self-induced depression, but he hadn't even let his long-time friend help. He hadn't let _anyone_ help. Everyone tried, sparing their time to distract him, include him in their lives and try to heal his deemed eternal pain.

But he just couldn't let anyone in. Not after the pain of losing Shadow.

_'I couldn't bear to lose one of them. It would destroy me.'_

He was well aware of how selfish he was being, but he couldn't shove away the negativity that came with anyone who approached, or intervened in his misery. The only one that would be able to shift his permanently dampening mood was Shadow.

_'Shadow isn't here.'_

Rising from his bed, Sonic made his way – barefoot – towards his bedroom door. Without warning, he pulled it open, startling those on the other side. Tails glanced up at him with glistening eyes, deep sorrow implanted in his sapphire blue orbs. "S-Sonic!"

"Hey there buddy," he smiled, ruffling the fox's head fur. "What'cha cryin' for? Nothing worth it, I can promptly say. Dry those eyes, little bro. I'm not going anywhere."

Tails nodded, sniffing and wiping at his eyes. Forgetting permission and personal space, the kit flung his arms about the blue hedgehog's waist, cuddling his dearest friend and older brother close to him, just to ensure he wouldn't abruptly fade away. "S-sorry S-Sonic! I just w-wanted to h-help you! You know, s-since Sh-Sh-_he_ isn't here a-anymore ..."

A pained expression crossed the hedgehog's face but he repressed it before it could worsen. "That's okay, little bro. I'll be just fine—I always am! I promise ya, I'm not going anywhere."

"I-I was j-just afraid of l-losing you—"

Sonic shook his head, drawing Tails' attention skywards. "Never, bud. I said I'd always be there for you and that's a promise I intent to keep. No worries, yeah?"

The fox nodded, smiling faintly. "Yeah ..." He hugged the taller blue again, nuzzling his cheeks against a tanned fuzzy chest. "I'll remember that from now ..."

Knuckles cleared his throat, drawing their attention away from each other. "As glad as I am that you guys made up and everything, there's still the issue of you, Sonic. This behaviour can't go on—"

Sonic shook his head sadly, gazing at the echidna with woeful, defeated eyes. "I understand, Knux. I'm sorry, but this is something I can't get rid of so easily. He was—he is—" He trailed off, unable to continue speaking. It had been nearly an entire year since he had even _said_ his name. A deep sigh emitted from the hedgehog. "I don't know if I'll _ever_ be the same ..."

The echidna snorted with distain and strode to the broken-down hedgehog confidently. With a quick movement, Sonic found himself sat on the floor, staring up at Knuckles with owl-like eyes, blinking with confusion. "If you fail to snap yourself from this state of mind soon, _I'll_ be forced to take action, and I promise you—it won't be _nice_. You really think that Shadow would _want_ you to mope around all day, slowly dying from all your negativity? _No_! He wanted you to live, Sonic, _live_! So stop with the 'woe-is-me' crap and grow a backbone, you useless rodent."

Sonic merely stared up at the Guardian, mouth working silently. It had been the first time in a while someone had knocked him about, rather than treading on eggshells about him. It had also been the first time in a very long while that someone had shouted at him, including Shadow's name in the mixture. His emotions had gone into complete lock-down, all except for the overwhelming ones of sorrow and grief. He was yet to grieve properly from the loss of his most loved partner, and he could feel it overflowing. This time, he really would drown in his sorrows. "Sh-Sh—"

"That's right. _Shadow_! He has a name, and you've not said it in nearly a year now, Sonic! Say it!"

"Sh-Sh-_Sh_—"

"_Say it_."

"_Shadow _..."

Sonic's voice was but a whisper, too quiet for those hard of hearing to notice. His tone cracked, emotion pooling from his very soul to be spoken in a single word. Months and months of repressed tears and tantrums regarding the obsidian hedgehog were threatening to overtake his form. He could already feel the tears wishing to burst forth.

"... Shadow ..."

"That's right. He's only gone if you _make_ him gone, Sonic. You need to move past this, otherwise, it will be your demise—"

"Shadow."

Knuckles arched an eyebrow, eyeing his seated companion. His tears were falling freely then, giving his emerald eyes a shimmering effect. Sonic didn't usually interrupt anyone when they were speaking, unless he had useful information to input. "Yes, Sonic. Shadow would've wanted—"

"Shadow ... isn't here?"

"No, he's not."

"Shadow ... isn't ... _here _..."

No one spoke. The sheer force of the agony in Sonic's tone made everyone freeze. His voice was so strained, breaking beyond belief. The tears falling resembled miniature waterfalls along the length of his cheeks. The hedgehog in question was staring at his hands with anguish in his gaze. His hands shook with each breath he took and then he stopped. Stopped breathing, moving – everything.

Tails made the first move, in the form of speech. "S-Sonic—?"

"_SHADOW!_"

A sudden burst of speed and Sonic was gone. He couldn't handle the overflow of feeling. He wanted to become numb – spiritually and mentally. He didn't want to _feel_ anymore.

"Shadow—_NO!_"

The trio were speechless as Sonic ran from his problems. Ran away from them, from the help and support they offered. Knuckles shook his head, snarling with vexation. Tails' eyes watered once more and he put his head in his hands, shoulders shaking from his subtle sobs. Rouge, however, was impassive. The pure torturous scene she had just witnessed had struck her intensely. She had never seen Sonic break down so easily, all from saying _his_ name. It was heart breaking to watch, let alone hear. She couldn't just stand by anymore.

"I have to go."

Knuckles shrugged, blatantly irked by the entire situation. "Suit yourself. I'll stay a while to make sure the kid is alright."

The winged furry nodded, expanding her appendages. Departing the house while the Guardian comforted the gentle fox kit, she took off at a run, feet leaving the floor in a matter of seconds. She spared no time in regretting not staying to aid with Tails, but there was somewhere she had to get to before the Heaven's decided to open again.

In quick succession, she reached her destination of her current home. She possessed no static abode – she was nomadic by nature and she loved it – therefore, she was staying in a lovely little cottage by the ocean that she could rent for a month. Folding in her wings upon landing, she slid a little on the slushy ground. It seemed the storm had stretched farther than she first expected.

_'No matter. I have business to attend to. I can't sit by and watch that hedgehog destroy himself further. Now is the time for action—but not from me. It's time.'_

She pushed open the door to the cottage, revealing a comfy, modern interior. Plush furniture suggested a recent revamp from the cottage's heritage. It suited her comfort and taste well. She even thought about possibly staying another month! Shutting the door and locking it behind her, she noticed a mug on the table. It had been recently used, remnants of hot coco sitting in piles at the bottom. Calmly, she advanced in to the kitchen. A lone figure sat at the table, hands clasped together, chin resting against his hands. His piercing gaze was centred on nothing of any importance. He did that daily, staring off in to space, apparently thinking.

"... We need to talk. I need you to join me in the lounge. Don't keep me waiting."

With that said and a small grunt of acknowledgement, Rouge exited the kitchen and made for her favourite couch. Lounging across the plush softness, she revelled in the feeling of relaxation slowly overcoming her worn-out bones. Though she was young, constant flight and running (sometimes dodging) took its toll on her petite figure. Purring almost in satisfaction, she nearly didn't notice her guest joining her, perching tensely on the couch opposite of hers. Narrowing her eyes into the most intimidating glare she could manage, she directed her heated vision on her visitor.

"You need to stop hiding. This time I mean it."

His head snapped up at the sudden sharp intonation. It was unlike her to be so serious, so when she was, he knew to take her sincerely. His gaze met hers and for a few moments, they held it. A small staring contest, until he blinked and diverted his gaze away to the roaring fire in the elegant fireplace. The flames twisted and danced with each little breeze, reflecting the colour of his cardinal gaze eloquently.

"I'm unsure if I can presently. I don't feel the time is right—"

"Sonic almost killed himself the other day, because of how heartbroken he still is. You're running out of time to stall. The next time, Knuckles may not find him."

She got his attention with that. Anything about the Hero of Mobius caught his attention easily enough, but to make him _do_ anything about it? Well, that was another fight altogether. Nonetheless, the word 'killed' seemed to have hit a nerve ...

"You know why I can't go to him! You know damn well how difficult this is for me—!"

"You can only imagine half of the turmoil he is going through. Stop being so stubborn. You'll live to regret this, if you don't act soon."

He closed his eyes. Then he opened them, peering down at his hands gloved in white. Ebony fur began where the white ended, streaked with crimson. His eyes held the same red, but also housed very confused, very dubious emotions, very deeply rooted. He tightened his hands into loose fists, resting them on his forehead, torn. Torn between being exceedingly selfish and doing the right thing.

"When you first turned up here a month ago, I let you stay without questioning anything. When you swore me into secrecy concerning your whereabouts, I abided without failure. Throughout your stay, you've let loose next to nothing on details of what happened, and how you came to survive. Back then I would've pestered you all day until you told me all the gossip, but now—now I don't want to know. Now, all I want is for you to stop this and go."

"... Go?"

"Yes, go; _leave_. Go to _Sonic_. He desperately needs you while you sit here twiddling your thumbs. He _needs_ you—"

"How could he possibly need me after all I did to him?"

Rouge's eyes narrowed further. If looks could kill ... "Shadow, enough is_ enough_. Go to him!"

Shadow's gaze wandered from his winged friend, back to the dancing embers. "... I can't go back."

_'Not yet.'_

* * *

**. . . _To be continued_.**


	3. End of Night

**End of Night**

* * *

Sonic was going to have a bad day. Something in his spines told him so. From the first instance in that he woke, he felt a shift in the atmosphere all around him; in _everything_. It was like something had changed overnight, almost like ...

Rolling his eyes, he shook his azure furred head and scoffed. _'Almost like the impossible was said to happen? Yeah, right. In my dreams, maybe. But reality is much colder.' _He sighed heavily, dragging his feet as he walked along the dusty, dampened road. The rain from the previous day had vanished and a musky, saturated planet was left in its wake. His sneakers sunk into the soggy mud occasionally, making him cringe at the feeling, knowing full well it would take ages later to remove the offending substance. _'Man ... what a drag. Yesterday I freaked out completely, leaving my friends in a state of confusion or shock—perhaps both—and I can't even get enough courage to return. C'mon hedgehog! Tails is your best bud! He needs you right now! Man—figuratively—up and go see him!'_

With a determined glaze to his emerald eyes, the blue blur set off at a run, turning his nose up at every _squelch _as he ran. The mud was the least of his worries for the day. He needed to make amends with his twin-tailed comrade – he was his only source of sanity these days.

He arrived at his shared home in a matter of minutes. Gingerly, he pushed open the door, stepped inside and shut it behind him. Nothing had changed really; everything was in its appropriate place, except for the kit he was seeking. Tails, whom you normally couldn't remove from his lab, was laying on the couch closest to the T.V, snuggled in a fluffy blanket, sheltering him from the cold morning air. Rubbing the back of his head with a hand, Sonic advanced towards the sleeping fox-boy and knelt beside him. Raising a hand, he placed it on his shoulder and gently shook him awake. Tails blinked a few times groggily, staring waveringly at the one before him. A few moments was all it took for him to clear the sleepiness from his sight, locking on to Sonic. It took a few moments to register, then ...

"Sonic?! You're back!" With that said, the kit flung himself upon the spiky one, wrapping his arms tightly about his form, ensuring he couldn't escape or leave again. "Don't do that to me! I get so scared you won't return one day ..."

"No worries little bro!" Sonic grinned despite himself. Initially, his guilt was gnawing away at his conscience, but he couldn't let Tails see it. It would only bring on more questions; questions that he didn't need or want. "I'll always come back for ya! I promise you that."

Tails released Sonic and sat upright on the couch, glancing at his closest friend with hardened, glassy eyes. Sonic blinked, he had never seen the fox harbour such a look. "Sonic, you have to stop running away now. You can't keep running—it'll destroy you! Please, let us help you! Knuckles and I are trying—"

Sonic lowered his head, Tails' voice slowly being pushed to background noise, his own inner self taking the opportunity to have some input. _'Stop running? But that's all I know what to do. How can I cease something I've done all my life? It's always been "fight or flight" with me, commonly the first as the latter doesn't quite cut it ...'_

"—we need you!" Tails finished, tilting his head at the nonchalant hedgehog. He furrowed his eyebrows into a light frown, pondering. "... Are you even listening to me?"

"Huh? What?"

Tails frowned further, his eyes watering more so. Here he was, doing his very best to reach out to his best friend and offer support and comfort – a stable pillar underneath his crumbling kingdom – yet he didn't even have the decency to listen to him, let alone reveal his inner most deterioration. "... You didn't even bother to listen to me, did you?" The sheer amount of pain in his accusation made the hedgehog grimace. He was about to speak when Tails shook his head, waving a hand to cut him off. "If—if you're not even going to try with me, Sonic, then I can't do anything—_nothing_—to help you. You're so locked in your own world that none of us can even reach you! I—I just—I don't know what to do anymore ... I think I've lost you ..."

Tears spilled over his pristine white muzzle. Sonic made to wipe them away, but he stopped his approach. Hopping down from the couch, the smaller fox took a final look at the blue one before running away as fast as he could. Sonic listened to his friend flee, flinching at hearing the _slam_ of the door to his laboratory. He sighed, shoulders dropping hopelessly. Tails was correct – if Sonic couldn't pull himself from his dream world of the past, then how could he hope that his future would be good? If he even had one at all? What if, in the end, he lost himself to the past and was eternally stuck?

No one could help him there.

**. . . . .**

Knuckles knocked on the door of the house that Tails and Sonic shared. He waited a few moments before knocking again. With folded arms, he waited patiently for Tails to open the door. He had told the kit that he would return in the morning, just to check in on him. When no one answered for over two minutes, the echidna growled and thumped his fist against the door, careful to not apply too much power. He had an incident like that before and it was the first time he felt the wrath of a grouchy, sleep deprived Tails. It wasn't something he wished to experience again anytime soon.

_'What could possibly take him so long?' _he thought sourly. He hated to wait. _'I suppose he could still be sleeping. Yesterday was a trail for us all—especially him.' _He went to hit the door again – louder this time – but paused, grabbed the doorknob experimentally, and turned. Sure enough, it was unlocked, so, Knuckles let himself in, disregarding the need to close the door behind him. After all, on Angel Island, he didn't have any doors. Just nature. _'He had better have slept, otherwise ...'_

The echidna's thoughts were put on hold upon seeing someone sitting on the couch. Although it wasn't the one he had come to see, it happened to be Sonic; someone he _wanted_ to see. The Hero of Mobius had taken a turn for the worst and disappeared off the face of Mobius the night prior. It made everyone worry about his safety, since his state of mind was so weak, and he had let no one know of his whereabouts. Or if he was even still _with_ them, so to speak.

Tails had feared that he had gone to join Shadow.

With a snort of apprehension, Knuckles moved forwards, not letting his jitters over the unpredictable hedgehog worry him. Sonic's ear flicked at sensing movements, but he made no motion to get up and discover the intruder on his home. In fact, he barely moved at all. Just sat there, slumped on the couch with his eyes closed. The only way Knuckles knew he was alive from the fact his chest rose and fell rhythmically. The echidna homed in on the immobile hedgehog, guaranteeing that he wouldn't run ... but he didn't even seem to register that the red one was even there.

"Sonic? Look at me, hedgehog."

An emerald eye opened slightly, peering at the one who interrupted his peace. "... What do you want?"

Lilac eyes narrowed dangerously. After last night's antics, Knuckles was in no mood to be trifled with, especially with an overly emotional hedgehog. "Where's Tails?"

"Locked himself in his lab." The eye closed his expression devoid of emotion.

"Why?"

"We had a fight."

"Why?"

"I don't know! Because he's a kid with no control over his emotions, that's why!" Sonic snapped, eyes opening to reveal fiery green. At seeing the look of disbelief on Knuckles' face, he instantly regretted his outburst. Tails _had_ only been trying to help ...

"Listen to me, hedgehog, and listen well." Sonic was forced to lock gazes with the echidna – his tone was deadly serious. "Yesterday you made a raving fool of yourself—madly running around and screaming out Shadow's name—and it broke that kid's heart at seeing you so distressed. He did his very best to help you and you did nothing but shove it in his face. He admires you more than you could ever believe, so the next time you go to speak ill of him, think first." Knuckles growled the last two words, assuring that they sunk in. By the way Sonic flinched at his guttural rumble, it had. "You need to stop with this—with _all_ of this. You're pushing everyone away, and for what? To prevent us from helping? To die alone? To _die_? _What_?!"

"I don't do it on _purpose_!" Sonic cried out, hitting the couch out of frustration. "I didn't mean for _any_ of this to happen! I didn't mean to let him die! I didn't—"

"To let who die, Sonic?"

Sonic's temper dissolved immediately, his eyes flung earth-bound. "... Shadow."

"You didn't let him die; he _chose_ to become a sacrifice."

"It was never his choice to make," Sonic mumbled incoherently. Knuckles barely heard his next words. "He was so ... _selfish _..."

The red one's eyebrow rose. "Shadow was the selfish one?" A nod confirmed his inquiry. "He was selfish to save the galaxy, and all of _us_?" Another nod, but this time, smaller. "Selfish for saving, and in turn, leaving, you?"

A final nod. It was a breakthrough.

"You think he did this on purpose. To leave you here alone."

"_Yes _..."

Knuckles shook his head in disgust at the hedgehog before him. Sonic noticed, looking up, puzzled. "How could you even _think_ that of Shadow? What he did was noble and just, and you're calling him _selfish_ for it?"

Sonic felt a twang hit his heart; a sudden surge of shame and disgrace clouded his mind. _'Shadow ... is a hero ... how could I think so little of him?'_

"He died saving _you_; saving _us_!" Knuckles' tone was sharp and icy. "I don't want to hear anymore slander, Sonic. I also don't want to see you until you snap from whatever stupor you're in. Shadow was a hero, something I also perceived you to be." He turned to walk away, stopping before doing so to say his final piece. "Shadow would be ashamed of you, Sonic. You're not a hero; you don't _deserve_ the title."

Sonic shied away from the form of Knuckles, coiling in on himself, becoming a ball of spines. He heard the echidna stomping away and then the sudden slam of the front door. Sonic wanted the couch to come alive and eat him whole, but alas, the couch did not stir, and nor did anyone else in the house for the rest of the morning.

The only movement was when Tails finally came out of his laboratory to find Sonic still curled into a tight sphere, unmoving. He tried his best to elicit a response from the blue blur, but to no avail. Defeated, the kitsune departed the shared condo with a heavy heart, no intention of returning any time soon, or without aid.

And he knew just the person he needed. But how would one contact the afterlife?

**. . . . .**

Sonic kicked a pebble along the stony path. He had been alone since this morning. He had checked in on Tails, only to find no trace of the kit in their home, and Knuckles ... don't even mention that infuriating echidna.

_'What does he know? What do any of them know? None of them feel what I do—none of them know how difficult it is to miss someone so much. None of them!' _To say his mood had soured drastically throughout the duration of the day would be an understatement. He was currently taking out his rage on the small pebbles on the pathway. He was on his way to visit Rouge in her present location – a neat little cottage by the ocean. Certainly, it was a spectacular sight, but the blue speedster kept his distance from the sheer simplicity of it being near water. _'I hope she's in—I really need some company right about now ...'_

With one last angry boot at the floor, he shot off like a rocket. Wasting time was almost as bad as wasting chilli-dogs. In a matter of minutes, he had arrived at Rouge's haven – he had misplaced himself a few times on the way, it was a very complex route! – and he paused to look at the waves crashing against the shore line before shivering with repressed fright and made his way to the front door. Knocking, the wooden piece of furniture creaked and opened a little. Frowning, Sonic pushed the door open without much concern about creating noise. Side stepping across the threshold of the door frame, he tip-toed through the hallways, sneakers making little sound on the plush carpet.

"... Rouge?" he whispered urgently, eyes darting around. His guard was raised, his spines tensed. "Rouge, are you here?"

When receiving silence, he pushed forwards, entering the kitchen. Oddly enough, it seemed like someone had recently left. The lights were on and a kettle had recently boiled on a gas stove. A mug sat on the countertop, half filled with hot chocolate. The steam slowly rising from the mug suggested it was freshly brewed. Leaving the kitchen, he went in to the living space. It was homely, holding many elderly, cosy accessories. Upon closer inspection underneath his sage green gaze, he found a suspicious looking blanket bundled haphazardly in a corner of the couch. Removing a glove, Sonic pressed a hand to the fluffy comforter; it was still warm.

_'... This doesn't make sense. It's almost like ... like someone left in a rush. Like someone didn't want to be found.' _Replacing his glove on his hand, Sonic took a seat on the couch, when a sudden nostalgic feeling ensnared his senses. It was almost like, like ... _'It's like I can sense him ... it's like ... he's here with me.' _He sighed deeply, resting his head in his hands. _'But even I know that's impossible. Stop living in the past, Sonic; it'll kill me one day.'_

With a hefty sigh, Sonic rose to his feet. Sweeping a final look around the room, deeming the cottage to indeed be deserted, the Hero of Mobius left the lodge without so much of a single glance back. Little did he know that someone _was_ home, and that they had been watching him the entire time from the shadows ...

**. . . . .**

"Oh, Sooon_iiiiccc_~"

The voice was so shrill that it made the blue blur visibly wince. Only one possessed the ability to make him do so with as little as saying his name ...

"There you are! I've been looking for you _everywhere_!"

"Hey there, Amy ..."

A pair of arms wound themselves tightly around Sonic's neck, making him choke briefly and stumble. Regaining his footing posed to be slightly difficult with the pink hedgehog hanging from his neck like a monkey. He grabbed at his composure and willed his impeccable sense of balance to not fail him when returning to stand upright – with an extra attachment. He swore that she invaded his personal space so much at times; it was like she became an extra ligament.

"Oh my gosh, Sonic! Where _have_ you been lately? I've not seen you for _ages_!" she squealed, pulling him into a tighter embrace, almost cutting off Sonic's circulation. The rosy hedgehog forced the blue to look straight in her eyes, the colour nearly matching his in shade and hue. "Have you been avoiding me? If you have, then that's just mean! We're 'meant to be'! Not 'meant to be apart'!"

Her grip was so tight Sonic felt his eyes watering from the strain. "Amy—_can't_—breathe!"

Realising her mistake, Amy loosened her death grip on her supposed "soul mate", stepping back a little to allow him some room to breathe. "Oh, I'm sorry darling! Sometimes I don't know my own strength!" She giggled, batting her eyelashes at him flirtatiously. "So, how have you been? And why haven't you been to see me recently? I get so lonely without you ..."

Sonic struggled to not roll his eyes at the sickening display of one-sided affection from the girl. She was only thirteen, for goodness sake. How could she possibly proclaim love for him when he had never once returned the feeling in any possible method? Attempting to shake her off a little in vain – it was like she was super glued to him! – he shook his head in dismay, surrendering to his apparent karma of having a raving fan girl swinging around his neck. _'In the name of all that's Holy, what did I do to deserve this?' _His inner monologue, thankfully, didn't portray on his features, Amy remaining blissfully unaware of his true desire to run and hide forever. _'At least get her off of me, someone, anyone!'_

As though hearing his prayers, Amy removed herself from clutching him like a squid and stared at him quietly. She studied his demeanour and body language. Everything about him screamed melancholy and iniquity. He looked... defeated. But from what, she couldn't pinpoint. Surely he wasn't still overcome with grief for that monster of a black hedgehog? "Sonic, why are you so down all of the time? Like, seriously, it's cramping your style. You should be happy! Eggman is nowhere in sight and peace has returned—all thanks to _you_!"

Sonic stiffened, his muscles tense. _'No, that isn't right ...' _"You're wrong."

Amy squinted, cupping a hand around her ear, leaning in closer to him. "Huh? Say that again? I couldn't hear you."

He spun to look at her with steeled eyes. "You're wrong."

Dumbstruck, the pink hedgehog backtracked, her own words playing in her skull. "Wrong? How am I wrong? _You_ saved everyone—"

"No, Amy—_Shadow_ saved everyone. I merely watched from the sidelines."

"No, that's not right," Amy exclaimed, shaking her head at Sonic's declaration. "Shadow was nothing but a pitiful abomination that was a mistake. The professor was wrong in creating him. Shadow himself, was just, _wrong_—"

"No, Amy, Shadow was a _hero_!"

His tone came so icily it caused Amy to stop speaking instantly, thoughts running through her cranium rapidly. She was clueless on what she said that had sparked instant anger in her proclaimed dearest love; his sudden aggression towards her was perplexing in her eyes. Misinterpreting his anger at being at Shadow, rather than herself, she blamed the flash of rage on his broken mental state. Sympathising with his losses and predicament, she smiled sadly at him, patting him patronisingly on his shoulder and shushing his snarls of mild animosity. "There, there, Sonic. I understand _completely_ on why you're acting like this—he brainwashed you. It's simple really, when you think about it. Shadow was a manipulative, cunning hedgehog with no real compassion for life—he was a _weapon_ of mass destruction—the _"Ultimate Life Form"_," Amy rolled her eyes at the phrase, spitting it out like something the cat dragged in. "He never really understood why we did what we did, and he made you _think_ that he was the hero of saving everyone; one last scheme!"

Amy continued to convey of how much of an evil being Shadow was, cursing his name to the very depths of Hell – the only place he belonged, in her opinion. She wasn't alert to the darkening to Sonic's emerald orbs, nor the teeth grinding in order to distract him from imploding entirely. The things she was saying about Shadow was not only revolting and disrespectful, it was a complete lie. She knew nothing of the heroic nature behind the Antarctic exterior of the ebony one; no true idea at just how passionate and adoring he was, once upon a time. She had _no_ idea. _No one_ did. That was the one thing Sonic despised overall – no one truly knew anything about Shadow, with the exception of Rouge and himself. Knuckles tolerated his presence, but the two fought like cat and dog. The only reason they were seen together at times was due to their mutual acquaintance of Sonic.

Amy never got along with the hedgehog. Although he never made it easy, she never gave him a chance to show his true colours. The instant they met, Sonic had felt a shift in the atmosphere. Amy had gazed upon Shadow with distain in her eyes, a threat to stay away from Sonic. Shadow had looked at Amy like she was something he had stepped in, something smelly and foul. She had always treated him like an enemy and he had returned fire with feelings of her being unnecessary and incompetent. Sonic had to keep the peace between them on numerous occasions – if they ever fought, Shadow would obliterate the girl. No matter how much of a nuisance she was, Sonic wouldn't allow it. Underneath all her extravagant, loud outer shell, she was a fiercely loyal friend and a good fighter.

She just stood no chance when pitted against the Ultimate Life Form.

Tails and Shadow were matched intellectually. If one devised a plan and the other saw holes, they would notify the other and scheme and plot together, manifesting a flawless plan with their shared brilliance. The kit was a little intimidated from the piercing stare and demanding presence of Shadow, but over time, he had grown accustomed to his face, relaxing a little more each day that passed.

Rouge and Shadow were like siblings. Their relationship was a love-hate one. If she got in trouble, he would charge in, all weapons blazing to rescue her, only to lecture her on safety and security after completing the rescue. Rouge would retaliate, snapping at Shadow to "mind his own business" and he would respond with a sharp, "I wouldn't have to if you stopped playing the damsel in distress." Rouge would sulk and refuse to talk to Shadow for a day or two, before coming back with a bright smile and another idea for a jewel heist or some "Top-Secret!" plan for world domination.

Sonic would merely shake his head and mutter, "Some people."

Putting thoughts of Shadow in his mind had instantly calmed the fire willing to incinerate the foolish-talking pink hedgehog. Sonic would grudgingly admit that he had a darker side, but he would never be ashamed of it. _Especially_ if it was rightfully outraged. Amy had talked nonstop about how monstrous Shadow was, how he had meant to harm them all, perhaps even murder them all. Sonic tilted his head at hearing that, gazing at Amy with a look of indifference.

"If Shadow was so evil, Amy, then why did _he_ save _me_?"

That shut her up. Indeed, the Ultimate Life Form had once saved Sonic from the clutches of death, and wanted nothing in return except his promise of being more careful in future.

"If he as awful as you described, then why—after _fifty years_—did he keep his promise to a sick, young girl to save the world she loved so much? Because that was the reason he helped us at the ARK, Amy. He helped because he _cared_."

Amy was at a loss for words. She couldn't understand why Sonic was defending Shadow's name so viciously.

"Why, Amy, when _I_ was ready to take my life to save everything, did _Shadow_ step up and push me out of dangers way, ending his own life to ensure a future for us _all_?"

"S-Sonic, I didn't think—"

"You're right; you didn't think. No one thinks. They all say the dumbest stuff without thinking of the consequences that would follow. Shadow saved you, me and all of our friends. He saved our home and gave us a future. So, the next time you wanna disrespect his memory—_don't._"

Sonic ended his thoughts, turning away from the girl. She said nothing to prevent him from going, caught up in her own little bubble of thoughts. _'Maybe now she really gets it. I wasn't the one to save her—he was. He wasn't a mistake ... I—was I **his** mistake?' _

He wandered aimlessly, not meeting any other forms of life along his travels. After a few hours of roaming, he found himself wanting to return home. Raising his head to find his whereabouts, Sonic found himself in the center of a forest. It was getting dark, so the light was in short supply, making the forest seem eerier than it actually was. Swallowing a lump forming in his throat, the speedster kept on going, stumbling a few times over stray roots.

The night was coming in fast and Sonic cursed himself. He knew better than to travel at night and alone – both at once was just a nightmare waiting to happen. Snorting, he pushed forwards, missing the root in front of him, catching the front of his sneaker on it. With a yelp, he flung forwards, crashing into shrubbery and gooey mud. With a grunt of irritation, he pushed himself up and out of the mud, uncaring of how sticky and unpleasant his fur felt from the sudden mud bath. Shoving a tree branch out of his way, he hopped over a lower one, succeeding on avoiding another face plant. He grinned slightly at his succession before it was swept away in the unfair form of the tree branch he had let go of suddenly smacking him in the face, sending him reeling backwards. Landing with a thud, he stared up at the fading hues of the evening sky.

He stayed there for a while, feeling a slight trickle of warm liquid sliding off of his forehead. The branch had cut in to him, leaving a thin, but long, line across his brow, diagonally sweeping from the left side of his muzzle to the right ear. He poked it, wincing at how something so feeble could make his skin so tender. _'Can this day get any worse?' _A flash of lightning lit up the darkening sky, followed shortly by a roar of thunder. _'Naturally, the second I think it, it does. This just isn't my day ...'_

Sighing deeply, Sonic removed himself from the mud – yet again – and made his way through the forest with fewer accidents, homeward bound. He seriously needed to think about investing in some sort of waterproof clothing, or at least an umbrella.

**. . . . .**

When Sonic arrived home, he felt like a drowned rat. No, scratch that. He felt like a rat that had been thrown in the ocean, taken home and accidently washed in the washing machine and then drowned in a swimming pool.

Yes, he felt _that_ drenched.

Unlocking his front door, he pushed it open with such a force that it rebounded back at the tired, grouchy hedgehog, smarting him one right on his honker. With a mixture of shock and anger in a vehement yell, Sonic held his nose in one hand while slamming the front door shut with his other, cussing inwardly. _'Why me? Why do I always seem to have the worst luck possible? Is someone smiting me?'_

Grumbling to himself, the hedgehog made his way to his bathroom – he stunk and desperately wanted to shower, when a sudden creak stopped him in his tracks. With his ear flicking wildly to locate the origin of the creak – he knew he was home alone, Tails always left the door unlocked – his heart beating harshly in his chest. The last thing to be the cherry atop of his "Cake of Disaster: a Sonic Specialty!" would be an intruder, or worse, a burglar. He hated people who took things that didn't belong to them. Another noise emitted and he decided it sourced from his bedroom. _'Just great. Someone's probably stealing all my sneakers and gloves. They would love to see me walk around completely naked ...' _

Dispelling any irrational thoughts about weirdoes, Sonic, as silently as he could muster in his present condition, whipped to his bedroom. Pressing an ear tentatively against his door, he indeed, heard something shuffling around in there. Damn him for wanting the room with the balcony! It was a God-send for robbers! _'Why must I always be the one to receive—again—the worst luck ever?! Isn't it about Knucklehead's time for some? If only a little?'_

Grasping the doorknob, he turned it slowly, gently. He didn't want to alert the intruder to his presence. That way he would have the upper hand and an opportunity for a pre-emptive strike. Stealth wasn't his strong point, but when it came to his home and safety, he wouldn't take any chances. However, his body disobeyed his minds command and pushed the door open and a battle cry ripped free from his throat.

"I've got you now—!"

His words froze in his mouth as he stared into an empty room. The storm was in full whack outside of his balcony doors – which were strangely open – but there wasn't a single being but himself in the vicinity of the room.

"What the—?"

Surely he wasn't going mad? Tails had told him plenty of times that he needed to see some sort of "mind doctor" but he had refused each time. He knew he was sane – that was all that mattered. However, it was at times like this that he doubted his sanity. _'I definitely heard someone in here. I KNOW I'm not insane—Tails would've had me sectioned years ago if that was the case. Perhaps ... perhaps they left when they heard me outside? Through the balcony doors?'_

With a sharp nod, Sonic agreed with his inner thoughts and stomped his way to the doors that were wide open, with every intention of shutting out the poor weather, when a sudden dark figure stalled his movement, making him take a fighting stance immediately, eyes narrowed, teeth bared. "Come at me, you robber! I'm not afraid of taking you out! I've had a really bad day and I'm _really_ not in the mood for this!"

A dark chuckle was his reply. It made him frown – that sounded extraordinarily _familiar_. He couldn't say who or why, but he _knew_ it. The figure was leant against the metal fencing around the outer perimeter of the balcony – to prevent Sonic from falling off, Tails had said – his back against the cool bar, his front facing Sonic. It was too dark to see anything clearly, but he could faintly make out the shape of the intruders form. It was a hedgehog, like himself, but with oddly shaped spines ... almost looking upturned.

"Who are you and why are you here? You had better answer me too!"

Sonic tried to sound threatening, but in all honesty, he was feeling confused. Puzzled at the fuzzy feeling arising in his chest, still trying to match the chuckle to a face but failing time after time, hazy at the lack of energy he had left in reserve. He hadn't eaten properly in a while and it was having an astounding effect on his stamina, and health.

Nonetheless, he was greeted with silence again, only the background noise of thunder resonating. Determined and fed up, Sonic stepped outside, daring the pouring rain and loud storm in order to piece together just _who_ this unfamiliar was. It was only when several flashes of lightning tore up the sky that he bore witness to whom had invaded his home, and upon seeing this critter made his heart stop. Like, literally, until it resumed beating a moment later, twangs of pain shooting through his chest from the anomaly. Emerald eyes widened dramatically and his mouth hung open in staggering shock, deeply rooted to his inner most self.

The moment the lightning illuminated the Heaven's, he knew just who had intruded – he just wasn't sure that he believed his eyes. But when another series of lightning bolts flew across the night sky clarified his vision was indeed sincere, Sonic was profoundly incredulous.

He couldn't utter a single word. Even his mind was empty.

A smirk governed a tanned muzzle and ruby eyes locked on the stupefied form of the Hero of Mobius.

"Hello, faker."

* * *

**. . . _To be continued. _**


	4. Save the Hero

**Save the Hero**

* * *

It was the dead of the night and not a thing could be heard or seen. The largest forest upon Mobius was no exception. It was odd though, as the mud-ridden pathways through the forest usually held traces of the nocturnal roaming, but alas, not even a grain of dirt was disrupted. No sounds, no sights, no _nothing_. That part of the forest was desolate, almost eradicated of all life ... but no one understood why. Then again, no one had actually been to investigate why either. Perhaps the sudden scarcity of life was due to the outrageous tropical storms that plagued the land. They had come from nowhere seemingly, but few believed that they arose from something sinister emerging. The last time rainstorms came this frequent was when the God-like Chaos rose from slumber, wreaking havoc on the land. Those that stopped him were famous about the land, but one more than most, none other than Sonic the Hedgehog.

_Everyone _knew who he was. Most manifested crushes on the blue blur, resulting from his dashing smile and captivating optimism. Gaggles of fan girls hounded him wherever he made himself known. Many were jealous of the friends he had – _they_ wanted to be that close to the Hero of Mobius!

One fan girl in particular had that pleasure. Amy Rose adored every fibre of the blue hedgehogs being, loved every aspect of his personality, but, she was unsure if he felt the same way. Lately, he had become more distant and a lot more moody in the company of his best friends. She would've claimed the title of 'best friend' but even she knew that Tails would win, hands down. Therefore, she took the second best as Sonic's self-proclaimed 'girlfriend'. She was certain that one day they would get together, be extraordinarily happy and make beautiful pink and blue babies, have their own house – the lot!

... Of course that would require cooperation from him, which lately, was deemed _impossible_ to get.

She couldn't understand the sudden fickle personality to inhabit her one true love. His wavering temper and stability was alarming. She knew that he never served well beneath intense pressure, but with everything at peace and such, what could possibly prove to be stressful? Sonic had been in constant company over the past year, despite his emotion (and unemotional) outbursts and tantrums, the entire circle of friends he has had been incredibly patient and understanding. Knuckles even took it upon himself to be nothing but _nice_ to him. So, why was he still so volatile?

_'It was still very odd that he protected Shadow so much today. I mean, it's Shadow! What could he possibly do to mean more than—than me?' _Amy's mind was whirring rapidly, trying to assemble a possible answer. _'Well, I highly doubt that hedgehog meant more to Sonic than what I do—obviously he's in love with me but in denial!'_ She smiled, nodding in agreement with herself. Upon recalling Sonic's words in the early hours of the day, her smile faltered slightly, her expression dimming_. '...Still, he seemed adamant that Shadow was like, some kind of hero or something! How could he be a hero? Sonic's a hero; not him!'_ She rested a gloved hand to her forehead, grimacing. _'All this thinking is making my head hurt. It's too late for thinking—in fact, I should be sleeping! Where am I anyway ...?'_

Gazing around at her surroundings, the pink hedgehog took it all in, frowning. "I don't remember walking this far ... Why is it so quiet here? There's like—no life!"

Indeed, she felt like she had just wandered into some kind of a horror movie. It was eerily silent. Every step she took seemed magnified by ten in noise, each leaf she stepped on crackling like a tree trunk snapping. Her caution rose, her need to yell for help increasing drastically. She didn't feel safe; she needed to get out of there and _fast_.

_'Why can't I watch where I go for once in my life? This is how I always end up caught in some lame trap that Eggman set for Sonic—'_ Her trains of thoughts ended abruptly, emerald eyes widening owlishly. _'... Oh no.'_

A sudden flash of lightning illuminated the forest atmosphere and with a scream of horror, Amy Rose was gone.

**. . . . .**

The storm raged on. Thunder booming and lightning blinding. The rain continued its harsh onslaught of watering the green grassland and forests of Mobius, paved streets of the cities shimmering with puddles. It was also drenching the cobalt blue fur of a rigid hedgehog, dumbstruck and in disbelief of what his eyes were seeing. In the next moment, the very image that tore out his soul vanished from his line of sight, giving him further reason to not trust his eyes.

He swore he had just seen _Shadow_ standing on his porch, smirking at him with the usual fiery glaze to his crimson eyes. The image had resembled a very well and very much alive ebony hedgehog, also soaked to the bone from the thunderous weather. But when it disappeared as quickly as it came ... how could he believe it was _really_ him?

_'With the way the storms going, it could've been a trick of the mind. There's no possible way that was real, because he—because Shadow isn't—'_ A pained expression creased his face, his eyebrows furrowed from the lack of comprehension for the sudden peak in his insanity. _'I must be going insane. Now my brain is playing tricks on me! Maybe Tails was right ... perhaps I DO need to see some sort of head doctor. Though, if I don't know what's going on with my head, I'll be damned if they'll know.'_

Regaining mobility and his regular heartbeat pace, Sonic shook his head sadly, water droplets flying off in random directions from the motion. Deciding to get out of the rain, he plodded back into his bedroom, closing the balcony sliding door behind him, clicking the lock to ensure no one would enter without notifying him. He made his way to the bathroom, grabbing a fluffy towel from the radiator. It was cold, but it would sufficiently dry him before he caught his death. _'The last thing I need right now is for Tails to return to find me sick—he'd freak completely.'_

Once dry and warm, the blue hedgehog lethargically made his way to his welcoming bed. He wanted more than anything to just sleep away the events of the day. A new day brought new possibilities, and he needed something new now more than ever. Sliding underneath cosy covers, he rested his spiked head on a poufy pillow, minding his spines as to not end up looking like a chicken from slashing open feathery pillows. Rolling on to his side to watch the porch doors, eyeing water racing down the glass, elegant and hectic in unison. It felt calming, despite his fear of water. And although he was alone, he knew he would be able to sleep tonight without trouble. He had no real thoughts on his mind, except one ...

With a light frown crossing his features, he continued to watch the rain, recalling the haunting vision – a hallucination? – of Shadow looming outside. It still had him puzzled, and partly annoyed. _'I know that was a whacked out sort of vision—no possible way of it being real—but then why... why did his voice sound so real...?'_

He eventually fell into a dreamless slumber, but flashes of black and red occasionally flitted in his conscience. Tomorrow, he knew, tomorrow would be a better day.

**. . . . .**

A bird chirping in a song was always a lovely tune to wake to. Rays of sunlight crept through an opening in the curtains, golden hues sneaking up on the slumbering, and lightly snoring, form of the Hero of Mobius. The morning was a beautiful one, and everything was blissful. The previous night's storm had blown over entirely, leaving the world around feeling refreshed and alive. The ferocious winds and tempest-like rain had left a trail of upturned objects that weren't nailed down and numerous puddles scattered amongst the dew ridden jade green grass. Nothing could possibly disturb the peace of the arriving day, not even Eggman trying to capture somebody.

An emerald eye opened slightly, barely enough to register that it was time to wake. Closing again, the azure teenager began to stir, movement limited from being wrapped up in the duvet. Untangling his limbs from fabric, Sonic yawned loudly, stretching the sleep from his tensed up ligaments. Slowly, but surely, his eyes – both this time around – opened and peered out at the new day. They widened quicker at seeing the sunlight illuminating his bedroom. A swell of serenity bloomed to life in his chest and for the first time in a long time, he truly felt like the day was going to be a good one.

He smiled lazily to nothing in particular. _'Well, it's time to start. Today—today I begin refreshed!'_

Pushing away from his bed, he padded barefoot to the bathroom. One couldn't start again without first relieving himself! Once satisfied, he left the restroom with the toilet flushing in the background. Jogging along the hallway to the kitchen, he set about making breakfast. Pulling out two bowls from the cupboard above his head, he paused, a pang of guilt forcing him to look down. He had two bowls out ... this morning, he only required one.

_'I have to make amends with Tails. And Knuckles. They've both done so much for me and all I've done is be a pain in the backside. Well, no more! It's time to get a move on with life, Sonic, old pal; the future begins now!'_

With uplifted spirits, he returned one of the bowls to the cupboard and used the other to put cereal in. Tails had always insisted on him eating a "sustainable" breakfast, rather than chowing down on chilidogs all the time. He had agreed to shut the kit up, but it had proved to be helpful – he begun to feel more energised throughout the day, and for longer periods of time. The miracle of breakfast was astounding, but he would never let Tails know that he was right.

_'That's just what I'd need—little bro glowing in adoration of a compliment! It's awkward enough to thank Knux if I ever need to ... jeez. I talk to myself far too much. I need some proper company before they label me too far insane to cure.'_

He ate his breakfast in silence, thoughtless for a while until the issue of finding where Tails was staying temporarily crept up. Cream would be more than happy to house the fox-boy for a while, Vanilla more accommodating than most beings out there. But, that would mean that Cream would have visited in order to aid in making them friends once again, and he hadn't seen the young rabbit in a while. Knuckles was the next best suggestion. He looked after Tails when Sonic was unable to, but would he _really_ let anyone, beside himself, stay within five hundred foot of the Master Emerald? It was a possibility – desperate times call for desperate measures. Rouge was out of the question, he'd been there yesterday and no one was home, not even the bat herself.

_'So... it seems he's with Knuckles. Or at least I hope he is. A small fish like him is easy prey for a big fish!'_ He shook his head, frowning. _'Why am I thinking about fish this early in the morning? Come to think of it, why're they on my brain at all?'_ He deadpanned at the wall. _'Sonic, old pal, you're losing it. I think when I've made things alright again, I'm gunna check myself into the nearest asylum.'_

Finishing his breakfast, he dumped the dirty bowl and spoon in the sink and padded back to his bedroom. He needed to get dressed and ready for the day ahead – it was going to be a long one. Locating his shoes thrown haphazardly around his room, he put them on and fastened them, after putting socks on of course. Otherwise he would suffer horrible blisters. His expression soured at experimenting one time of running without socks to protect his feet – he ended up unable to walk properly for _days_.

_'Tails always seems to be right about things like that. He didn't say I told you so, but I know he desperately wanted to. That's my little bro for ya—genius and a master of common sense. I probably wouldn't be here without the little booger. I really need to make amends.'_

With one final confirmation of his current goal in his mind, Sonic pulled on his gloves and stood, ready to face the day ahead and any complication it may afflict on him. With a great deal of confidence and hope riding on his shoulders, Sonic left the safety of his shared sanctuary and headed for the most promising location to find his friends – Angel Island.

**. . . . .**

It was dark. Too dark for her to see. So she sat still, hardly daring to breath, unwilling to disturb the eerie silence surrounding her. It was cold but that was the only thing she was sure of. She had woken to the pitch black atmosphere and at a loss of movement – here meaning, she was bound with something. She had tried in vain to break the restraints, but even her above average strength couldn't make it move. Instead, the feeling of being trapped had intensified, as had her fear of never being found.

She heard movements every now and then, like creatures skittering around her. It made her skin crawl – who knew what was out there. She most certainly did not know.

A sudden squeak made her body stiffen. She looked about wildly, unable to make out anything baring the everlasting darkness. A dim light flared to life, but still, she was unable to see adequately. _'But why can't I see?'_ Then it clicked, ironically, like a bright light bulb being switched on. _'I'm blindfolded! Oh no, this just keeps getting worse! Sonic, help me!'_

"You."

Only a single word was said, but it was enough to force her to flinch, wary and scared.

"You're Amy Rose, aren't you?"

She kept quiet, biting down on her bottom lip nervously. Perhaps if she acted the part of a mute, the stranger would leave her alone? Or even untie her for not being useful? She could always hope.

"Answer me! I don't have the patience for you!"

"Y-yes!" Amy squeaked, voice frail and stuttering.

"And you, the one they call Sonic the Hedgehog—he will come to rescue you?"

"I-I—"

"Yes or no?"

"I—no! No he won't!" Amy blurted out, deceit clear in her abrupt, poorly thought out answer. She wanted nothing more than for Sonic to come to her rescue, but she couldn't put him in harm's way of a danger she was yet to see! "Sonic? Who is this Sonic? I don't know what you—"

"Don't lie to me!" A fist slamming against something sturdy echoed, creating dramatic fading echoes after. Amy flinched away, or tried to. Those damn restraints! "I've been watching you—both of you—very closely! I know he will come for you!"

"Leave Sonic alone!" She tried to sound brave, but how could she when her teeth were literally chattering together from fright? "I swear, if you hurt him—!"

"If I hurt him?" A dark chuckle made her ears fall flat against her skull. "I'm not going to hurt him—I'm going to _kill_ him."

Emerald eyes widened underneath the cloth of the blindfold, a sharp intake of breath indicating a very shocked gasp emitting past her lips. "No! No way! Who do you think you are? Why are you after Sonic?"

A quick growl halted any further words she wanted to say. The growl was one forged from anger – no, this one was _deeper_, more primal. This strange kidnapper wasn't just angry; he was downright outraged. But at what and whom, she wasn't sure.

"He has taken someone valuable away from me, and I intend to return the favour!"

Freezing at feeling a touch to the side of her head, she blinked at a sudden rush of light at the blindfold being yanked off – harshly, but also carefully. It was like the assailant was confounded with his actions – to be cruel or to be kind? Amy was growing very weary of it all. She had been kidnapped so many times it was becoming an annoyance.

_'I don't want to keep being the damsel in distress! I have to prove myself to Sonic! Now if only I can work out where exactly I am—'_

Her thought line was interrupted by finally seeing who held her captive. To say the least, she wasn't expecting this.

"_You_?"

**. . . . .**

Sonic was walking.

Yes, that's right – _walking_.

He had no intention of running to find Knuckles and Tails, as they would instantly become suspicious. Therefore, he took it upon himself to do the daunting task of walking to the pillar that held the Master Emerald, and more likely than not, housed the twin-tailed fox and ruby echidna. Walking, he thought, would seem less conspicuous; perhaps even give off the impression of a happy, willing-to-talk Sonic!

_'I hope this works! Sometimes change signifies good things! So, me walking instead of running should show how willing I am to cooperate with them!'_

He couldn't deny his own brilliance. Sometimes he figured he was smarter than Tails. Then said fox would go and build something magnificent and shove his narcissism back into its box with a stick.

_'Oh, I know! Next time I'll approach with a white flag on a stick! That way, they'll HAVE to listen to me.'_

Or so he figured.

The weather around Angel Island and its surrounding areas had brightened incredibly in such a short period of time. Clear skies went as far as the eye could see and the heat was glorious. It motivated his spirits stupendously, his courage and confidence at an all time high. He hadn't felt this _free_ in a long while. And freedom was something he had sorely missed.

_'Come to think of it, the last time I truly felt like ME was before the incident with Shadow ... He wouldn't have wanted me to become so unattached and angry—he wanted me to live. How could I have been so stupid? I nearly lost everyone because of my own selfishness. Well, not anymore! This time, I make things right!'_

He grinned broadly, it increasing so at the Master Emerald's shrine coming into view. Flowers were in complete bloom in the surrounding forestry, the tree leaves a brilliant jade green and the luscious looking grass flowed gently in a subtle breeze. Angel Island was a beautiful place, he would admit. There was nothing quite like watching the sunset from the top of the Master Emerald shrine. He and Shadow had done so before – without the knowhow of a certain Guardian ...

"Good times," he smiled, standing boldly with his hands on his hips. "And it shouldn't be long before ..."

And, as if on cue, Knuckles came steaming out of nearby shrubbery, fangs bared, claws out. With an intense look to his eyes, Sonic wondered whether the more "stealthy" approach to visit his friends was such a good idea after all. But after a short while, Knuckles clocked on to who was invading his Island – _again!_ – and his pace slowed considerably, lilac eyes narrowed with indifference. He wasn't at all happy to see Sonic, not that the blue blur could blame him. He had been very irrational and unapproachable as of late. But today, today he remedied that.

"Hey there—!"

"What do you want, Sonic?" Knuckles intervened, arms crossed, posture and expression reading "I'm not in the mood for you".

Sonic rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, attempting to smile in a way that portrayed peacefulness. "Look, Knuckles, I came here to apologise for my behaviour—"

"Not interested, hedgehog. Now get off my island."

Sonic spluttered, not accustom to being cut off twice in a row. The Guardian was already walking away from him with an expression that would make small children cry. Sonic shook his head and ran in front of the red furry, blocking his path and gaining his attention – as well as a very frightening death glare. The speedster held up his hands in surrender, motioning that he only wanted for Knuckles to listen. The echidna stared at him apprehensively but made no motion to elude the hedgehog. Sonic took this as a sign to speak his piece, and he did just that.

"Look, Knux—" Knuckles raised an eye ridge at the nickname. "—I _really_ did come to apologise for how I've been acting. I know how much of a moron I've been—"

"You think?"

"—and I've come to say sorry for it," Sonic continued, ignoring the input. Knuckles was trying to get a rise from him, but he couldn't bite on the bait, otherwise, this would never be resolved. "I'm sorry, Knuckles. Really, I am. I don't mean to push you guys away—especially Tails, where is he anyway?—and I swallowed my pride to come here, so please, don't blow me off like something the cat dragged in. I need you guys more than ever right now and I've just come to realise that fact. I need you, I need Tails." He took a deep breath. "I'm, just, sorry."

He let out the breath he had been holding, a small fear of rejection from one of the best friends he had come to make pricking the back of his mind. Knuckles had been a very stable support pillar over the past year in Sonic's life, and he very much needed the support to continue, not to disappear.

Knuckles studied the hedgehog with a harsh scrutiny, unsure of what to make of his statement. Sonic never lied – he just couldn't, it wasn't in his nature – so he knew the entire speech was truthful. But, that still didn't dismiss the fact that Tails had turned up on his doorstep – Islandstep? – less than twenty-four hours ago with plans of trying to make a time machine to reverse the events that took Shadow. The kit was trying his very best to fix his broken hedgehog friend, and he was very serious with his time travelling plots. Knuckles had allowed him to stay, with the condition that no experiments were to take place upon the Island. Tails had abided and kept to himself, occasionally shouting out "Aha!" or "No, that will never work!"

Even though he had upset many people, the hedgehog had stamped on his own pride and sought out the duo on his own initiative. He had to give him some credit after almost having a mental breakdown, and he did seem rather bright-eyed and bushytailed today ...

"Sonic," Knuckles began, immediately drawing the hedgehog's full attention to his red-furred face, "I accept your apology, but if you _ever_ do that to us again, I _will_ kill you. Do you understand?"

Sonic nodded, overwhelmed by joy that threatened to consume his very mind. The one thing he hated more than H2O was having a close comrade irked with him in some way – unless he was deliberately irritating them. Knuckles had accepted his apology, and all he now needed to do was find Tails, who wouldn't be far from Knuckles. With Sonic absent, Knuckles was the next in line for his protectors, or held the "big brother" like statuses.

"So Knucklehead, where _is_ my little bro? Talking to one such as you, with so little brain cells, is only entertaining for so long," Sonic said, shrugging his shoulders in a nonchalant way, pretending to not care in order to mask the sheer bliss he was feeling. The last thing he needed was for the Guardian to notice and torment him about it in the future. "C'mon, I know you're hiding him somewhere ..."

In fact, Sonic knew that Tails had been listening in on the entire conversation. The twin-tailed kit was hiding behind one of the many pillars the Master Emerald shrine held, eavesdropping. He was waiting patiently for the opportune moment to announce his arrival. Sonic wasn't anything but overjoyed to know he was safe and sound, even more so at knowing he was listening to him, instead of not wanting to know.

_'Three ... two ... one ...'_

"_Sonic_!"

A sudden rush of golden-yellow fur attacked Sonic and latched on to him with such a grip that he was fearful he would never remove the attachment of yellow fuzz. The kit nuzzled his cheek against Sonic's peach chest fur, arms snugly wrapped around his waist, minding his spines in a very tight, very welcoming hug. Sonic smiled softly and patted the fluffy head attached to the arms cuddling him, returning the embrace with one of his own, rubbing lightly behind silky auric ears, a calming measure he had known since Tails had been very young, and very frightened. It seemed to do the trick, because his breathing mellowed out. But his vice grip on his best friend didn't ease up at all.

"Shh, it's okay buddy. I'm not going anywhere this time, I promise."

"You—you mean it?"

The sheer vulnerability in his voice made Sonic's heart ache. He had caused such distress to the youngster that he didn't deserve, and there he was, open and hopeful. Hoping that his best friend wouldn't reject him again. Hopeful that their bond wasn't affected in any way by the recent events.

"I swear, little buddy. If I do anything like that again, _I_ will throw myself off the highest cliff." He pulled the kit close, shutting his eyes as he cuddled into the soft fur. "I'm so sorry Tails. I'll never hurt you again."

"I believe you," the kit whispered, withholding tears wanting to fall.

They remained that way for a few moments longer with Knuckles standing silently off to the side, watching over them like a voiceless Guardian Angel. They separated, but not without a reassuring glance into each other's eyes. From afar, it would seem like something most intimate, but the love they shared was unlike one of a lover, it was one of family, one of unbreakable trust and undying loyalty. Sonic would be lost without his "little bro" and Tails would fair no better with Sonic absent.

Even Knuckles could see the bond they shared was one in a million.

A rude metallic noise invaded their personal moment, static emitting from close range. Tails shook his head, dried his eyes and reached behind in his tails, pulling out a piece of high-tech equipment that, without a doubt, he had made himself. Sonic did wonder where he stored all his items, but thought it impersonal to inquire. Tails was a very shy Mobian; such questions would surely make him blush and stutter.

The device continued to create a disturbance until Tails turned it on to the appropriate channel. It was a radio transmitter, Sonic realised, which included a small screen, making it resemble a portable TV. A picture came on to the screen and Tails uttered a gasp of despair.

"Sonic—it's Amy!"

"What?" Sonic moved to see the screen, and indeed, Amy was on it. She was bound by some sort of contraption and looked very scared. "What is this?"

"I don't know—"

"People of Mobius," a voice off of the screen began, silencing Tails. "I am here today to offer a trade to the one they call the "Hero of Mobius" or Sonic the Hedgehog. I have something dear to you and you have something dear to me, so I propose a trade! You will bring her to me, and you can have back Amy Rose! You have an hour, Sonic the Hedgehog—an hour before this hedgehog's blood will be on your hands!"

And then the owner of the voice stepped in the line of sight of the camera, and Tails nearly dropped the device.

"_Silver_! Silver has_ Amy_!"

**. . . . .**

Rouge was watching the television in her cottage. Well, partly. She was searching through a magazine she had "purchased" on her way home from a long-needed relaxation flight. The trauma with Sonic lately had caused her, Knuckles and Tails some very mean headaches, and alone time was a brilliant remedy for her. Though, she thought her situation was much more unfair than Knuckles' – after all, he wasn't housing a fearsome, intimidating hedgehog that seemed to be afraid of the grass outside.

Skimming through the housing brochure, she had found nothing she liked the looks of yet, but she was hoping for something more mainstream, perhaps closer to civilisation. _That_ would make the hermit of a hedgehog think twice about refusing to leave. It would also be easier for her to get to work when needed. Or, perhaps, she could look for one closer to Angel Island... she did _love_ the scenery there.

A smash echoed, originating from the kitchen attached to the living space. Rouge deadpanned, not bothering to look when shouting, "I told you to be careful with that cupboard! It has a tendency to throw plates at you."

A grunt was all she received. Rolling her eyes prominently, she flipped the page and went back to ignoring the grouchy guest. She would rather put up with a PMSing Knuckles than a grumpy version of _him_ any day. "Where is that damn echidna when you need him?" she asked herself, sighing deeply.

Flipping the TV channel with the remote, she looked at the next station with little interest, until it zapped to another channel by itself, making her blink. There on the screen, was a very flustered and upset pink hedgehog. A _familiar_ pink hedgehog. "Wait, isn't that—"

"People of Mobius, I am here today to offer a trade to the one they call the "Hero of Mobius" or Sonic the Hedgehog—" An instantaneous flash of fuzz appeared at her side, standing rather than sitting on the couch, watching the television screen intently. His form was tense Rouge noticed. Tense and trembling slightly. "I have something dear to you and you have something dear to me, so I propose a trade! You will bring her to me, and you can have back Amy Rose!"

He growled at the voice, unable to pinpoint the one who owned it yet. "Show yourself ... I want to know who I'm hunting ..."

Rouge placed a hand on a shoulder with obsidian fur. Distracted, he barely noticed her attempt at soothing him. He wanted nothing more than to destroy the one who meant to even _threaten_ Sonic.

"You have an hour, Sonic the Hedgehog—an hour before this hedgehog's blood will be on your hands!"

Then a silver hedgehog stepped into view and Shadow faltered – didn't he know that punk?

"What is the meaning of this?"

"I'm not quite sure, darlin', but I can see that it's not good."

"That much is obvious. Why has he captured that pink hedgehog? What does he want with—with Sonic?"

His last word was hard to say. _His_ name was always hard to say.

"I don't know. Look, Shadow, don't do anything irrational—it's probably some sort of hoax."

He grunted, lowering his gaze to the floor as he sunk into the seat beside Rouge. His gloved hands were clasped in front of him, his mind working in overtime. _'... It sickens me, sitting here day after day while he suffers at the memory of me. But, yet, I cannot bring myself to unleash such a vigorous amount of emotion upon him—I don't know if he'll want to see me.'_

"Snap out of it. I hate it when you go all 'deep thinker' on me. It makes me look like I'm talking to myself."

He blinked a few times, looking at the ivory bat. "Forgive me."

She rolled her eyes. "Shadow, sometimes, sorry isn't needed. Sometimes, it just is."

He lowered his head again, staring at the plush carpet flooring. 'Sometimes? What about ... this time? Is it needed this time?'

**. . . . . **

Sonic knew exactly where Silver was holding Amy captive. He had seen that type of room numerous times before when foiling the plans that Eggman had, destroying his various methods of transport. This one was aerial, thus they would need the Tornado. The three of them had made haste to return to Tails' workshop – conveniently attached to his and Sonic's shared condo – and the twin-tailed fox had got to work with starting up the place as soon as they arrived, so within a matter of minutes, they were airborne and heading towards the location of the radio-transmission the broadcast had resonated from. It was somewhere near Station Square, so Sonic was sure it wouldn't be long before G.U.N were mobilised also.

"Come on little bro! We need to pump this thing for all it's worth!" Sonic exclaimed, voice having to be raised over the howl of the wind. They were already travelling at a fast pace, but Sonic needed it to be faster – he had little under half an hour left to rescue Amy from her impending doom. "Can it not go any faster?"

"This is as fast as we can safely travel, Sonic!" Tails yelled, breath lost to the wind.

Sonic had volunteered to run, but stopped upon recalling that Eggman was airborne – something he hadn't quite mastered yet. Settling for the Tornado was the next best option, and most productive. Knuckles and he were holding on to the wings of the plan while Tails drove. This method allowed them easier landing as they could jump off to Eggman's ship while Tails distracted it with impeccable piloting skills.

Speaking of the devil, Eggman's airship came in to view rapidly as the Tornado accelerated with a descent. Once they were close enough, Sonic and Knuckles shared a look before jumping, dropping straight on to the ships outside deck. It wasn't overly large, but it was big enough to house hundreds of robots futilely trying to stop their rescue operation. Slowing down for a fight was not on Sonic's agenda. Knuckles, however, wasn't spoken for a while Sonic located and retrieved Amy, he could do with some R&R by beating down on some robots. It was so stress-relieving.

As though summoned by the thought, a dozen or so robots – the mundane kind, stupid and slow – ran out and tried to hinder Sonic from entering the aircraft. The Guardian smirked devilishly and began his assault, ramming his very solid fist of iron in to the nearest walking scrapheap, rendering it useless with one, fatal strike. Sonic grinned at the echidna and took off at a blinding speed, evading every piece of metal easily while heading for the door leading to the inside. He didn't really feel like kicking through a tonne or so of solid metal to reach the internal structure, so a door would suffice!

Sliding underneath the last of the robots while one was sent flying over his head from a well delivered uppercut from Knuckles, Sonic found his way inside and was welcomed by a tunnel of hallways. He sighed, shrugging his shoulders comically. "Typical Eggman—living in a maze! But it won't stop me!"

With a fearsome grin, he pressed on, flitting out of sight instantly, hunting for Amy. He had precious minutes left, and the last thing he wanted was to find her dead. His search would need to be thorough and quick – his specialty!

Meanwhile, Knuckles was contently pounding away at the onslaught of ridiculously dumb robots. He sent them packing, one by one – sometimes in a group – with very little effort. He had left a trail of fist-prints in broken robots. Some had fallen off the side of the airship and dropped to the earth below but he didn't have time to care for the poor soul they may crush upon impact. He only hoped that people were looking up over Station Square today.

Tails soared by him again, dodging beams of energy sent to kill the Tornado with one hit like a pro. He also aided in taking down a few robots himself and disabling the lasers intent on disintegrating the Guardian with one hit. It was always reassuring to have him by their side; he provided a strategic diversion and a sure getaway. After all, none of them would want to be left on the airship when Sonic had found out how to self-destruct it!

Tails thought up the plan. He always knew that kid had an evil streak inside him ...

**. . . . .**

Shadow was watching the TV with Rouge with very little interest. His mind had been distracted the instant that disturbance in the broadcasting had occurred and that peculiar silver hedgehog claimed that he would take the life of the pink hedgehog if Sonic didn't return something he found to be precious. _'What could really be that valuable that it would cause him to threaten the life of one of his friends? It is puzzling. I know for certain that he would never steal—the guilt would eat away at him so much that it would force him to return the item of theft. This has no sense to it.'_

"Shadow, seriously, keep pulling that expression and I'll draw on your face with permanent marker."

Startled, the dark hedgehog looked away from the TV and at his companion with a questioning gaze. "Permanent marker?"

Rouge groaned, slapping her forehead. "I forgot about how little you know about the present day! Permanent marker, as the name suggests, is a permanent marking pen." She grinned evilly. "It means that if I draw a moustache on your lightly coloured muzzle fur ... it won't wash off."

Shadow's eyes narrowed and he glared at her. "You wouldn't dare."

"Keep staring like that at nothing and we'll see how daring I can be."

The Ultimate Life Form grumbled and diverted his gaze back to the infernal noise box. He couldn't understand how some creatures could sit there all day and watch the junk that was played constantly on the television. It would drive him insane watching it for more than an hour, which is why he always found himself to be bored when Rouge wasn't about. And that was a _lot_ of the time. Keeping one's self occupied twenty-four hours a day was _very_ hard work.

There was nothing more infuriating than being inside, alone, all the time. Shadow swore one more day of it and he would go insane.

Literally.

A sudden _bzzt_ sounded from the TV, signalling another interruption. Ruby eyes were drawn to it immediately and what he saw made his heart stop. Rouge was also staring, horror-stricken.

Sonic was on the screen and he was about to die.

**. . . . .**

Sonic ran through the maze of hallways, until he finally found who he was looking for – in the cell houses, nonetheless.

"Sonic!"

"Amy! Don't worry—I'm here to save ya!"

He dashed to the young pink hedgehog and stopped in front of the contraption holding her securely. It looked very complex._ 'Where's little bro when I need him? He's the machine genius—not me!'_ Dispelling unnecessary thoughts, he went with the next best thing – destroying the machine from its roots. _'Time to spin and win!'_

About to perform his legendary spin, Sonic stopped still. He was frozen to the stop – arms immobilised, legs stagnated. He couldn't even move his _head_. A light bluey-green light surrounded his form. He suspected that was why he couldn't move.

"What the—?"

"I finally have you, Sonic the Hedgehog!"

The voice was cold, and ruthlessly familiar. It hit him directly in the centre of his trust circle, wondering just _why_ the telepathic hedgehog had turned against him, betraying him in a way so privy he was sure that he could never trust him again.

"Silver, why are you doing this? Why did you side with Eggman? I thought we were friends!"

Sonic was spun round to face the silver hedgehog with the unusual spiky head. His expression was very unfriendly, his eyes so determined Sonic knew that he meant business. "Don't slander to me, hedgehog! I know your plan to control this planet until you can destroy it completely! And I know how you plan of using _her_ to carry out your master plan!"

Sonic would have frowned, it his muscles weren't paralyzed. "'Her'? Silver, buddy, you lost me."

"Don't play games with me!" Sonic found himself flung backwards in to a nearby wall, back and spines crushed painfully against the cold, metallic structure. A gasp of pain was forced from his lungs, and Sonic took a moment to regain his composure, but it was a moment too long. Silver was on him like a wildfire – dangerous and ready to exterminate all in its path. "I _know_ you have her! Release her at once or you will die here today!"

"I don't know who you're on about, Silver! Let Amy go! I don't have anyone!" Sonic proclaimed, bewildered at Silver's accusations. Just _who_ was he on about? "Who are you on about?"

"_Blaze_!" Silver's growl was guttural, deeply savage. He wasn't afraid of hurting someone to get his way, he had proven that already. Sonic was immobilized again and a spark of fright crept into his mind. Silver could kill him without even trying if he kept him still. "You took her from me and are holding her captive. Tell your team of miscreants to let her go and you will leave here alive—you and her!" He motioned at Amy, who was in such a state of fear that she flinched merely from him pointing. "_Give me Blaze back_!"

"I don't know where she is, Silver! I've not seen you or her in almost a year! You vanished that night that Shadow did!"

"Don't tell me such lies! I know you want to harness her power to use for your own, selfish whims! I swear, if you don't tell me where she is, I will kill your where you stand, hedgehog!"

"No, _Silver_!"

Amy's cries fell on deaf ears. Silver only had eyes for Sonic – the one he believed to have Blaze. But Sonic knew nothing of Blaze, or her whereabouts. He didn't even know she was still in this century.

"Silver, I swear—"

"Swear on this!"

An array of agonising sensations flooded Sonic's waking mind. He felt like his insides were on fire and he could do nothing to saturated the burning feeling. He knew that it was Silver's doing, but he was unable to utter a single word from being curled up on the floor, twitching violently from the onslaught of pain. Fresh wave after wave stung his very soul, crumbling away at his resolve to fight. It heightened to an intense level, so intense he felt like he would spontaneously combust at any given moment.

"St-_stop_ ..."

Silver ceased his attack and Sonic fell to the floor, limber and panting heavily. His eyes were scrunched up in pain; his insides burned like he had swallowed a vat of acid, corroding away at his internal organs. He was sure that he should have been bleeding, but from his knowledge, it could be internal. He was in danger, and he couldn't do anything to evade the telekinetic hedgehog in such a small space and state of body and mind.

"Now, tell me; _where is Blaze_?"

"I—I don't kn-know—"

"You liar!"

The pain began again and Sonic screamed. He didn't know how Silver had learned to do such a thing – it was like his telekinesis was tearing away at his insides, slowly, precisely, to prolong his suffering for as long as Silver wanted. Sonic was helpless for one of the first times in his life, and it would, quite possibly, be his last.

It stopped as Silver broke all concentration on the hedgehog. A sickening idea had come to his crazed mind. if the hedgehog wouldn't reveal where Blaze was, then perhaps, if the rest of Mobius saw their "hero" dying on National Television, they would give up the location of Blaze. It was a perfect plan and he had all the equipment necessary to carry it out! Picking the camera up off of the stand, he held it out, pointing it down at the weakened state of the blue blur. Switching it on, it instantly hacked into the global network and broadcasted whatever the lens was directed at.

The inhabitants of Mobius each held their breath at the sight of Sonic defeated, preparing to meet his end. Sonic was the evil spirit and Silver was his reaper.

"It's time, Sonic the Hedgehog—it's time to die!"

And with that said, Silver brought a fist up, charged to maximum capacity with telekinetic energy. Upon impact of a solid object, the energy would implode, destroying everything within the radius of a small ocean. Silver himself would be consumed, yes, but he had immunity to all telekinetic energy, thus would escape unharmed.

The same couldn't be said for Sonic however. A sinister smirk etched onto Silver's face and he swung down at Sonic. Sonic opened his eyes enough to see the fist of pure, undiluted energy heading his way. He couldn't move – he hurt too much. He couldn't talk – his throat was burned as well. He could do nothing but watch as death loomed over him, silver furred.

He swore he could see the light ... a beautiful, gloriously red, light.

**. . . . .**

Tails watched in horror at Knuckles' side, watching as his best friend had succumbed to the crazed, murderous intentions of their once companion. The echidna was as horrified as the twin-tailed fox beside him, body suspended from the pure shock of Sonic just – just – _giving up_. After everything that they had gone through in their lives, after all the trauma, tragedy and depression they had combated and beaten, he was giving up because of some punk hedgehog betraying them.

Tails was distraught, unable to put coherent thoughts into his fuzzy head. "Knuckles, what do we do—we need to save him—are we too late—what can we do—_Knuckles_!"

The echidna felt something snap inside him. "**_SONIC!_**"

In a blur of fists and red fur, Knuckles charged the airships walls and _smashed_ through the titanium steel like it was made from paper. Tails watched, dumbstruck, as his Guardian friend made hole after hole through solid, _impenetrable_, metal in a frenzy to get to Sonic.

"_I DIDN'T TELL YOU THAT YOU COULD DIE HEDGEHOG_!"

**. . . . .**

Silver was flabbergasted.

One moment, he was hovering above Sonic like the Grim Reaper himself, the next, he was flung across the room with such a force, he was sure a few bones got broken. Blinking as he cleared debris from his eyes, the silver furry staggered back to his feet with a lot of strain and a few groans of pain. Once balanced, he raised his head to lay eyes upon a _very_ angry looking hedgehog standing between him and that blasted blue blur.

In fact, the hedgehog looked thoroughly _pissed_. The smouldering, murderous crimson eyes were locked on him and dark energy cackled in each of his harshly fisted hands. He was that outraged, Silver noted, that his body was trembling.

He looked ready to kill and his target was _Silver_.

"If you so much as lay a finger on him, I will tear you apart, limb from limb."

His tone was liquid nitrogen, his glare deadly serious. A simple statement had never made Silver quiver with fear before then.

"If you get in my way, I'll kill you too!" Silver tried to sound bold. _Tried_.

"I dare you."

Three simple words that insinuated so much. I dare you to come closer. I dare you to try to touch him. I dare you to try to kill me.

_I dare you._

Silver wasn't feeling so brave after all. In fact, something about this hedgehog radiated destruction, that he would love nothing more than to obliterate him in the most painful way possible. Silver assumed the only reason he hadn't, was the sole reason he was here in the first place.

_Sonic._

"I—I will not let you—!"

The unfamiliar hedgehog took a step towards Silver; Silver whimpered and took several back. He stepped closer again, and Silver fled. As fast as his legs could carry him, he exited the room hastily without looking back, fearful that the dark demon would be on his tail, smirking sadistically as he gave chase.

The hedgehog remained in the room, however, glaring daggers at the exit to the room before simply turning around and picking up the motionless blue hedgehog on the floor behind him with tenderness so great, it was like he was afraid to touch him. He even hesitated before lifting him, pondering on his intentions – were they the right ones?

A sudden rush of metal breaking from a tank-like creature smashing through it made him jump back sudden, not wanting any more damage to come to the one he held in his arms. Dust flew up around the room and there Knuckles stood, breathing heavily with intensely frustrated eyes. He had just broken through dozens of walls to get here, and he wasn't leaving without Sonic or Amy.

The pink hedgehog had been knocked unconscious from the force of the other hedgehog appearing. Her head lopped to the side, but otherwise, she was unharmed. Knuckles ran to inspect Amy closely. Realising she was in good health, he searched around frantically for Sonic and Silver. Finding no trace of the latter, he looked around the floor in a desperate search for Sonic, but instead, came across someone _else_.

The dust settled on the ground and Knuckles finally got a full glimpse where Sonic was. The other was carrying him, and Sonic looked to be in a bad way.

"You, give me Sonic."

"That won't be necessary."

Knuckles paused. He was part-way through stepping forwards, his foot hanging in midair. That voice – that suave, emotionless voice. There was no possible way!

He finally looked – properly – at the hedgehog holding Sonic. The Guardian's mouth hung open, he was downright astonished.

"_Shadow_?"

Shadow smirked at the confounded echidna, ruby eyes glistening tauntingly. "Don't worry, Red One, he will be protected well. I assure you."

And with his final word said, Shadow teleported in a flash of red light, leaving Knuckles to stare at the place he once stood. Tails climbed through the series of holes Knuckles had made to find the red furry staring at a particular spot with his mouth wide open and his eyes disbelieving. Tails shook away the frown and jumped over pieces of metal to Amy, preparing to release the comatose hedgehog from her prison.

"Knuckles come and help me! And where's Sonic?"

The echidna blinked dumbly and turned his head to slowly look at the kit. Tails frowned again, this time more prominently.

"Knuckles?"

"_Shadow took Sonic_!"

* * *

**. . . _To be continued._**


	5. Dearly Beloved

**Dearly Beloved**

* * *

Silver was angry.

No, scratch that – Silver was positively _fuming_.

Not only had he let his only chance of finding Blaze slip through his gloved hands, he had been beaten by a mysterious hedgehog that very nearly made him wet his pants upon first meeting. That hedgehog had some nerve, stealing away his prisoner and intimidating him like that! Next time, that black cretin wouldn't stand a chance! ... Or at least, that was what he told himself.

"There is no way I will allow him to upstage me twice! The next time we meet, I will destroy him _and _Sonic! Mark my words hedgehogs—I will be the last face you ever see!"

A dull light that had been glowing around Silver's wrist for a while suddenly burst to life, illuminating the area surrounding him. Focusing his energy, the silver furry closed his eyes in concentration, balling up his hands in to tights fists. The light expanded, slowly at first, then rapidly. Un-balling his fists, he held his arms above his head before spinning them in a spherical motion. Waving round and round in circles, he began manipulating his telekinetic energy, an aura of pale aquamarine surrounding him. The faster his hands moved, the faster the light spun, until, finally, it almost seemed condensed so much, that it had become solid.

Silver smirked – his idea was working. Now to test the theory ... With no warning, he launched the spinning light disc, flat and smooth, two foot in diameter, at a solid metal wall. They clashed, and a brief twang sounded before the light disappeared in to the wall. Frowning, he stepped to inspect the wall, before his lips upturned and a loud, victorious laugh echoed through the empty room.

A paper thin line – no bigger than half a centimetre in width, was cut cleanly through the wall, and the wall behind that, and so on. It had worked – he had made his energy condensed enough to solidify and cut through walls!

"Yes ... the next time we meet, hedgehog, it will be your last ..."

**. . . . .**

Knuckles paced back and forth, an expression of intense concentration creasing his naturally crimson complexion. It had been only a few days since the incident with Silver and Sonic's disappearance, and he had tried to convince himself several times that what he saw was false – there was no possible way, that _Shadow_ had taken Sonic away, to only the Heaven's knew where. Shadow had perished in the blast over a year ago; Shadow's remnants should be circulating through space, not carrying Sonic!

"This just doesn't make any sense!" the Guardian growled, frustration evident in his tone. "Shadow died; how could he still be alive?!"

Tails hovered nervously nearby, afraid to step too close to the angered echidna. He had tried several calming measures to sooth the rage of the crimson furry, but to no avail. When Knuckles worked himself up into such a state, there was no way of bringing him back down. He usually punched something until it became dust beneath his ridiculous strength, or ran around his island, chasing down any petty thieves attempting to steal the Master Emerald. There were no such distractions as of late, as the team had done nothing but search for Sonic in vain. Knuckles claimed that he saw Shadow take Sonic's unconscious form away into the night, but Tails was not so sure. The echidna could be very misguided at times; perhaps one too many rocks had fallen on his head?

"Knuckles, please, calm down—"

"Calm down? How can I calm down when one of my comrades has been abducted by a walking-dead hedgehog?!" Knuckles exclaimed, his hands balled up into pointy fists. Tails was sure to steer clear of the sharp knuckles he had as his namesake. "Either I'm going insane, or Shadow is really alive! I know it's not the first."

'_I'm not too sure about that!' _Tails figured thoughts would be safer than words – the Guardian was versatile at best. _'I really don't know if Shadow could possibly have survived that blast!' _A light frown covered the kit's face, deep in thought. Even his brilliant mind was having trouble comprehending their current situation. Knuckles had never before shown any signs of mental instability, and he wasn't then either. Ruling off insanity, though, only meant that Shadow had risen from the grave again. The young fox sweat dropped, rubbing the back of his fuzzy head. _'How many times can one hedgehog revive himself anyway? It can't be good for his body!'_

None of the furries were exactly sure on what was going on. Too many ideas conflicted with one another and none pointed to a specific solution. The only thing that was certain is that Sonic needed to be found and rescued from whatever evil grasped at him.

The echidna began to pace back and forth, intense concentration portrayed on his beige muzzle. Tails watched his friend pace for a little, before falling back into deep though himself, pondering on their next move. _'Eggman wouldn't have recovered just yet, so the likeliness of him holding Sonic captive is low. Silver was scared away by the blast, or so we believe. Amy couldn't have possibly taken Sonic—she's barely left her home since the incident!' _The kit held his hands to his head, facial expression upturned with displeasure. _'Where are you Sonic?! Why have I lost you again?! You promised you wouldn't leave me!'_

"Our goal is to find Sonic," Knuckles announced unexpectedly, shocking an already fidgety Tails. The kit jumped at the boom in the echidna's voice, his resolution solid. "We'll stop at nothing until our friend is safe at home—even if we have to beat down on Silver and annihilate Eggman in the process."

Tails smiled sheepishly at a sudden thought. "But Knuckles!" The Guardian looked at the smaller fox, regarding him with an inquisitive stare. "How do we find Sonic if he was abducted by a ghost?"

Even Knuckles couldn't answer that.

**. . . . .**

Pain.

It isn't a pleasant feeling. From any point of view, it accomplishes nothing but physical discomfort and mental fear of the object causing such. Sometimes, the fear becomes so great that it moulds into a phobia. Nothing is worse than facing a phobia, especially alone. A phobia can be conquered, though, with a lot of dedication and time.

Sonic only has one phobia – H2O, commonly referred to as 'water'.

He never knew how this fear stemmed and flourished – it just happened. One day, he was walking along side of a beautiful river with numerous trees and flowers surrounding it. Tails had said he would catch up with him, so he went on ahead, taking a slow pace to enjoy the lavish scenery. During his travels, he decided on taking a little detour for a little exploration. Now, the saying "Curiosity killed the cat!" comes in to play well here, except it pertains to a hedgehog.

Sonic wasn't watching where he was going, and the "little detour" had taken him the wrong way entirely, resulting in him ending up near the edge of a very ferocious part of the river. The current was extreme and the pull intense. Sonic learned this all too well when he misjudged his footing and slipped into the cold depths of the raging river. He was pulled under almost immediately, spluttering and flailing. Fighting for his life against the cruel power of Nature, he struggled to reach the surface, gasping in deep lung-fills of air with every opportunity he had, before he was yanked back underneath the shimmering surface once more. His very life flashed before his eyes, and his fear was paramount – never before had he been as terrified as he was then.

It felt like years before he was able to resurface again, and despite his pride saying "No!" he shouted for help, screaming to the very Heaven's for aid. All hope was lost; he never learned to swim and his speed was useless here. He just had to ... drown. He would die. No one would know what happened to the infamous Hero of Mobius; he would just vanish from existence.

Tails would be all alone. He would break his promise about never leaving ... _'Little bro ... I'm sorry.'_

He gave up fighting against the current and was swept away in with the rushing water, succumbing to his ill-fated destiny. If only he could see his best friend again, just once more ...

A sudden form dived into the water with a force unknown by the hedgehog. He felt the presence enter, forcing him to open his eyes. They stung from the water, but he kept them open, searching the watery doom for whatever had – had – jumped? – in (why anyone would willingly, he would never know). Then he saw something swimming towards him at a rapid pace, resisting the strong current in order to make it to him.

Sonic knew that shape. He would live.

An array of bubbles left his mouth as he tried to shout underneath the water, only to swallow a mouthful and lose his last ounce of air. Choking, he barely registered the firm grip around his wrists and the hefty pull towards the sky. Before he knew what occurred, Sonic was spluttering on solid ground, greedily gulping down large quantities of air with each inhale. His lungs burned from the abrupt onslaught of oxygen entering them, his chest rising and falling quickly. He placed a soaked gloved hand to his chest; his heart felt like it was trying to jump from his chest and run away.

Tails panted beside his blue friend, eyes wide with shock. A slight tremble ran through his body occasionally, Sonic couldn't tell whether it was due to being wet or fright. All he knew was that the younger kit would not release his right wrist. It was like letting go meant he would disappear.

"S-Sonic!" he squeaked. "Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine little buddy, thanks to you." The gratitude in the azure hedgehog's tone was prominent, casting a joyful glow about the kitsune. "Seriously Tails, you saved my life. Thank you, little bro."

The golden fox merely nodded, tears filling the corner of his eyes. Without a word, the two embraced, the love they shared connecting them in the tender moment. In that one simple moment, the promise to never leave one another was made, a promise that Sonic intended to keep – his brother depended on it. Nothing had prepared them for the future, when their special promise would be tested, in numerous ways.

The only thing that had prepared them then was avoiding water at any cost. Sonic would never forget his ordeal, nor would he forget who saved his life.

**. . . . .**

Rouge was beginning to feel like she owned a Bed and Breakfast. Not only had she housed Shadow for numerous months while he hid away from the world, but now she had yet another guest arrive unannounced. Well, it was far from his own fault – he had arrived unconscious in the arms of said ebony spiked creature. The damned grouch had returned to her temporary home earlier than what she did – she had to convince Knuckles that what he saw couldn't possibly be true, that Shadow was extinct. Too bad it wasn't true ... it was save her a lot of headaches.

"Shadow, I don't know how many times I need to tell you this—Sonic needs medical attention. Who knows what damage that psychotic hedgehog did to Big Blue! The kid would know how to treat him better than you or I."

Her words fell on deaf ears as said hedgehog continued to tend to the comatose blue blur lying in a comfy, soft bed. Shadow had not moved from Sonic's side since he had rescued his beloved from eminent danger three days prior. Sonic had shown progress of recovery, but not as much as he had hoped for. He had bandaged up the worst of the physical wounds from being thrown about the metallic room, but internally ... he had no clue as to what could be tarnished inside from the damned maniac of a life form. If he had it his way, Shadow would have returned the exact same day after ensuring Sonic was in a safe place, and he would have destroyed the very soul of that silver idiot.

_No one_ harms _his_ Sonic. And if they get unlucky enough to disrupt one of the perfect cobalt spines atop of his head, then they would have Shadow coming down on them like the Grim Reaper himself, intent on ending the life of the mindless cretin.

Shadow's movements were gentle, amorous. His goal was to keep Sonic's health from deteriorating and, in turn, help remedy every ailment the inanimate hedgehog held. Nothing would completely sooth his concerns for his condition until said beloved woke up, blinking away clouded-sleep from those stunning emerald eyes. He was apprehensive about revealing himself to Sonic – explaining how he came back from the dead is always difficult.

He removed the larger of the bandages from around Sonic's stagnated form. It was wrapped around his chest and back; they had suffered the most injuries when the struggle took place. The wounds were healing nicely, no longer did they seep blood or crack whenever a clean wrapping was placed on them. _'Progress,' _he thought, a ghost of a smile quirking his lips, _'no matter how slow, or how long—progress is present. I hope you can forgive me, Sonic. I was so afraid of showing myself to you that I almost lost you entirely. What a fool ...'_

Rouge observed the two hedgehogs for a while. Shadow carried on with his nursing antics as though she was not present. In the end, she gave up trying to reason with the stubborn rodent; once his mind was set on something, Shadow was impossible to sway. Instead of wasting her breath, she decided on a more productive course of action; making the brood-some hedgehog eat something. He had not left Sonic's side, except for the occasional bathroom break. He even tried to shun sleep, which casted deep, dark circles underneath his eyes. Not that he cared. His only thoughts revolved around the Hero of Mobius.

Leaving the hedgehog to his thoughts, the ivory bat headed for the kitchen and began preparations of a quick, healthy snack. Normally Shadow would do his own cooking as Rouge was not around or utterly refused to be his servant, but desperate times and all that. Reaching for the bread from a cupboard, she opened the plastic casing and took out two slices of the bouncy nourishment. Casting away the remaining bread back to the cupboard depths, she then turned her attention to the refrigerator. Opening the solid white door, a cool puff of air greeted her and she scourged around for something nature-y. She knew that Shadow preferred a vegetarian meal as opposed to one consisting of meat. Something about eating another animal brought back terrible memories, resulting in ridiculous nightmares from the Ultimate Life Form. That meant nights of a sleepless Shadow and a very agitated Rouge.

If Shadow was unable to sleep, _everyone_ was unable to sleep.

So, settling with a strict "No meat!" policy, Rouge had emptied all her storage of anything meaty, refilling it with lavish fruits and vegetables instead. She couldn't complain; she loved everything fruity herself. Though the odd piece of meat did her no damage. She was an omnivore in the end. Shadow's prissiness wouldn't dissuade her from eating what she liked.

"That hedgehog had better appreciate everything I do for him," she grumbled as she prepared the salad sandwich – with "no butter!" as she had been told (or yelled at) before. He was very finicky with his diet. "Once Sonic is awake, he had better start pulling his weight around here again! No more slacking!"

Letting her irritation simmer for a little while longer, Rouge finished the masterpiece of her sandwich making, and headed to the room in which he, and Sonic, was staying. No sound was emitting from the room, which caused her to frown. Treading lightly, she peered around the doorframe edge warily, only to have every trace of annoyance flee from her mind at the sight she witnessed. Shadow had finished cleansing Sonic's immobile figure, disposing of the dirtied medical supplies in the trash bin provided by herself, and had fallen asleep upon folded arms, right next to Sonic. The scene was sweet; a rarity when it came to Shadow, and she could not bring herself to ruin the precious moment.

Stepping quietly in the room, Rouge placed the sandwich on a nearby dresser, careful to avoid anything that could tangle with her feet and trip her. Dancing around the random objects littering the floor – such as Sonic's shoes, Shadow's gloves, a can of antiseptic spray, a few plates etc – and elegantly departed the room of the slumbering hedgehogs. Gingerly moving the overwhelmingly squeaky door, she closed it without much of a fuss after the first brief moment of noise, shutting them in, shielding them away from the world, if only for the remainder of the night.

Pacing back to her own room slowly, her thoughts caught up with her. _'How will he react to finding Shadow alive? I suspect it won't be a positive revelation by any means—I hope Shadow knows what he is doing.'_

The door to Rouge's bedroom shut and silent fell about the cottage. Nothing was to disturb the tense air until the next morning, when a certain hedgehog woke to find something he least expected in front of him ...

**. . . . .**

Sonic had been captured and dragged off in to a dark, desolate corner of the – wherever he was. A dark chuckle accompanied the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. The setting and the realisation of being kidnapped did not settle well with the Hero of Mobius, and he began to panic. With no immediate escape route or plan in mind, Sonic rattled his brain in order to manifest an idea and quickly – his sanity depended on it.

"Struggling is futile, Sonic. You are my prisoner. I have taken what you cherish the most, like you have from me!"

Sonic paused; he knew that voice. "Silver? Is that you?"

A sharp smack sounded and his head was sent forwards, only stopping from the restraints. "Silence, you fiend! I demand you tell me the whereabouts of Blaze or I will make _him_ suffer!"

The azure furry frowned. "'Him'? Him who?"

A light flicked to life in the once never-ending darkness, and Sonic's breath hitched in his throat. Shadow was hanging from a brick wall by his wrists; all forms of energy had departed his body a long time ago, from the look of him. His head drooped solemnly, like he had lost all hope. It broke Sonic's heart seeing him so ... so ... broken. Like he had lost of all reason to live.

"Shadow!" Sonic cried, pulling hard against his binding. It gave way a little, but not enough. "Shadow, answer me!"

Shadow merely raised his head slightly at the sound of his beloved's voice. Sonic refrained from gasping at seeing the disorientated, lifeless gleam to his bright ruby eyes. Nothing could have prepared him for the flood of emotion draining his system – he wanted nothing more than to cuddle the Ultimate Life Form.

"S-Sonic ..."

His voice was weak, hoarse. Like he had been yelling through hours of torture.

"Hey, Shads," he said with a tight, pained smile. "How you doing pal?"

"S-Sonic, I-I—"

"Don't! Just—don't try to speak, Shads." Sonic gritted his teeth harshly, wishing that his bonds would loosen to enable him to reach the tormented one, dear to his heart. "Try not to move too much. Only Chaos knows what this psycho has done to you—"

"Silence, hedgehog!" Another sharp slap to the back of Sonic's spiked head made it fly forwards with a small cry of pain. "You shall not converse with him! I will make you suffer—you will watch him _die_!"

Jade green eyes widened owlishly and his head snapped back up to lock gazes on the darkened shadow that was Silver. Disbelief was evident in his gaze, but Silver's intentions were real – he intended on murdering Shadow in cold blood. Shadow was the thing that Sonic held most dear, and Silver was going to snatch him away, for reasons unknown.

"Silver, no, listen to me—!"

"The next time you speak, I'll remove your tongue by force!"

Sonic shut his mouth, staring on helplessly with horror. Shadow was completely vulnerable, open to any attack, incapable of defence. Ruby eyes sought out terrified emerald. They found one another, locking on to nothing but each other. Intensity of every calibre was felt; raw emotion seeping from Shadow to Sonic, and vice versa. Shadow was scared – _Shadow_ was scared! But, amidst all the fear and exhaustion, another emotion swirled within the crimson expanse; resolution. He had accepted his fate and was happy with it, so long as ...

'_So long as I live.'_

"Shadow, _no_!"

Silver's gloved hand was crackling with telekinetic energy focused into a dangerously unstable formula. He turned to glance at Sonic quickly before a sinister smirk crawled upon his lips.

"Now, Sonic Hedgehog, I take what is most precious to you. You will know what real pain feels like!"

And with his final statement said aloud, Silver plunged his hand directly in to Shadow's heart.

Sonic yelled out. "_NOOO_!"

"_NOOO_!"

Sonic shot bolt upright, eyes wide, drenched in a cold sweat. His hands were outstretched in front of him, clasping on to thin air. He sat there, blinking for a few seconds before realising that he had returned to reality, an acute sensation of pain spiking his entire body. Lowering his hands to hug around his chest, he gritted his teeth together and doubled over, unsure of why he was in so much pain. Squinting slightly, he saw nothing but bright white when looking at the majority of his form. Opening his eyes further, he realised that he was covered – nearly from head to toe – in bandages.

Coughing lightly, clearing his parched throat, he attempted a little speech. "S-Silver really d-did a number on m-me ..."

As impossible as it seemed, his _voice box_ hurt. Deciding against speaking until at least drinking a little water, the cobalt hedgehog's eyes darted around the room in which he was situated, trying to get a better grip of his bearings. The scenery was familiar – precise decoration with a peculiar twist. It took several more moments of wracking his brain for a definite decision of his location, when it just clicked.

'_This is Rouge's current accommodation. I remember being here not too long ago.' _He would have chuckled at the reasoning for going there, if not for his throat killing. _'I sought out company, and ended up here. That was the day I thought I saw Shadow on my balcony. What a fool, Sonic, what a fool ...'_

A light snoring caught his attention. He turned his head to study the slumbering form contently sleeping away on the mattress next to him, sat in a chair whilst leaning on ebony coloured arms. _'How bizarre. I always thought that Rouge had white fur ...' _A very light frown disturbed his default expression of blandness. _'Rouge IS white. So then why are you black? Did you dye your fur? Go emo on me? I didn't die really—I was only pretending!'_

He chuckled inwardly at his stupendous humour, which halted abruptly at recognising something rather ... odd about the sleeping form. It had _spines_. _Red_ and _black_ spines. The blue blur blinked a few times while staring at the figure, piecing together the puzzle in his head. There was only one being in the entire Universe that had that known fur pattern and hues. And that one creature had died over a year ago in the explosion.

'_Sonic, old buddy, your eyes are playing tricks on you. Just go back to sleep. When you wake, it'll be gone. You'll be sane again!' _Deciding to take this action plan, Sonic shifted lightly, gently lowering himself back to the welcoming plush mattress in order to sleep once more. His shuffling, however, disrupted the slumbering furry at the side of his bed. Sonic paused in his motion, watching with mild interest as it stretched out it's sleepy limbs and yawned loudly, unaware of the others conscious state of mind. It took them a little while to realise, and when they did, they gasped dramatically and stared hard at him. Sonic wondered if he had a banana stuck on a spine or something, guessing by the way the other was staring. _'How weird, haha, it even has eyes that are the same as his! Impossible though; I must be delusional. This is all an illusion.'_

"S-Sonic—!"

'_Oh my gosh, it even sounds like Shadow! What a mean illusion this is. Stop tormenting me! Just let me return to sleep.'_

"How—how are you feeling?" The question was nervously spoken, as though wary of receiving a reply. "Do you hurt?"

'_Silly fake Shadow, of course I hurt. That maniac hits like a tonne of bricks. I feel like I've been steam rolled by Eggman! I can't even speak really—my throat is sore. Sorry I can't speak to you, fake Shads; I'd have loved to, even if you aren't real.'_

"Sonic—are you—can you speak? What hurts internally?" Concern laced the very quiet tone. Sonic had to cease thinking just to hear properly.

'_Inside? Everything! Every little thing—my heart, my lungs, my stomach. I can't be bothered to name 'em all; you're smart, you'll figure it out. I'm tired—I'm gonna sleep now, fake Shads; try not to be too noisy.'_

Sonic laid down flat on his back, uncaring at that moment whether his spiked had pierced the mattress or not. All he wanted to do was sleep, but nooo – the fake Shadow kept talking to him.

'_Freakin' persistent delusion!'_

"S-Shut up! I-I wanna sl-sleep, damnit Sh-Shadow!"

Forcing his eyes to shut, Sonic shut out the outside world, and to his relief, the fake Shadow stopped talking. Instead, he whispered delightful nothings into his ear, soothing his inner pain and sending him further in to dream land. Hey, he was in a bad state of body and mind – delusional facades of Shadow were allowed! But, then the fake Shadow kissed his forehead, directly in the place the real Shadow used to. His lips felt warm, somewhat moist. Soft and supple, just like he recalled. It was far too real ...

"Sleep well, faker. I shall watch over you, always if necessary."

A chilly aura surrounded the azure Mobian. He couldn't describe the absolute dismay that had captivated his form, causing spontaneous shivers to rock his beaten body. Sonic's eyes slowly opened, full to the brim of undiluted hysteria and speechlessness. His mouth worked, opening and closing yet no sound came forth. The other in the room stared at the blue blur wordlessly also, though his expression seemed made of one more from worry than any form of surprise. In fact, he looked like he had been expecting this very reaction, grudgingly anticipating it.

'_There—there is no possible way! This has to be a dream; a trick, a nasty illusion! This cannot be real!'_

Sonic was falling apart inside, and Shadow could sense it. He made to move towards the trembling Mobian, hesitating when he shifted away slightly, though not moving his butt. Lowering his outreaching hand, the obsidian furry sighed heavily, lowering his gaze to the carpeted floor.

"Sonic, please, listen—"

"Y-you ... you _can't_ be real!"

The bewildered agony present in Sonic's raspy voice broke Shadow's heart. He had been expecting this for a long, long time. He just didn't know it would be this hard to face his beloved after such a long time of hiding. Nothing could have warned him of the overwhelming guilt gnawing at his brain. Nothing would have readied him for the sheer amount of hurt and betrayal Sonic was portraying clearly – crystal like – as he was then. He knew he owed a thousand explanations and a thousand more apologies, but they could wait; he needed to know of the Hero of Mobius's health state.

"Sonic, listen. I understand there is much to discuss but now is not the—"

"Pl-please, tell me y-you're _not_ real!"

Shadow winced, biting his tongue. How could he possibly dare to speak to Sonic after all this time? He was causing him nothing but distress and confusion, and in his current state, it would do nothing but hinder recovery. He thought it would be best to vacate the room until Sonic had calmed a little, or fallen back to sleep. Stress was the last thing the injured hedgehog needed then.

"Sonic, I'm going to leave for a while. You need relaxation and I seem to be hindering that—"

"... Are ... are you ... r-_real_?"

The vulnerability in Sonic's voice shattered the already broken pieces of Shadow's heart. If he left now, would that promote relaxation or would it feed the flames of distress? There was only one way to find out. The Ultimate Life Form let out a hefty exhale before choosing his next words _very_ carefully. They could well be the undoing of Mobius's greatest Hero.

"Yes, Sonic, I am _real_."

To prove his point, Shadow took a hold of the shaking hand and placed it upon his chest. The steady _thump, thump, thump _rhythm of his beating heart was enough to clarify his previous sentence. Sonic shook harder – he felt it underneath his dainty touch – and his hand lightly gripped on to the fur on his chest. Slowly, the bedridden blur shifted his form in order to face Shadow's directly. Staring intently with large green eyes like a curious child, he made his way slowly to his knees, using Shadow's strong shoulders for leverage. Once almost face to face with the ebony furry, Sonic moved his hands to lay on both his shoulders instead of just one, and looked deep in to his bright, weary orbs.

Shadow returned fire with the stare, unblinking and unbreakable. They had staring contests far in to the past, and he had always won, with Sonic blinking after only a few minutes and sulking about him "cheating". Wonderful memories were all he had to hold on to, but now, even they couldn't steady his fragile nerves. One push and he would break. He hoped that Sonic wouldn't be the one to shove ...

They remained as they were, holding the position with Shadow exerting the most energy. Sonic moved a hand from his left shoulder and ran it along the peach muzzle fur of Shadow, relishing the soft, silky feel beneath his touch. Next he tested the spines. They were jet black, streaked with blood red. Sturdy and sharp. Then he touched his cheek, delicate fur yielding under his fingers as he ran them along.

Shadow hardly dared breathe. Sonic was unpredictable at best, and when he was sick, it was worse.

His thoughts were proven correct a mere moment later when Sonic hesitantly moved his head forward, gingerly with the pace of a snail, before connecting his chaste, crackled lips with those warm, soft one's he remembered from earlier. The flow of time seemed to flow to a complete stop around them, nothing but their intimate bestowment occurring in the entire planet.

Shadow was in heaven. Not only was Sonic in his arms once more, but he was also making the first move after such a long time. Nothing else mattered but him and Sonic, then and there.

But the moment ended too soon when Sonic pulled away sharply. Shadow flinched at seeing tears of confused pain and betrayal spring forth in the Hero's eyes, and before he knew what had happened, Sonic had yelled out at him in a mad rage and socked him one right in the jaw. Shadow saw stars, _astonished_ by Sonic weakened state strength, and from the fact no one had punched him in a _long_ while.

"You ... _freakin' _YOU!"

"S-Sonic—!"

"_YOU PRICK_! GET OUT! GET _OUT_!"

Sonic was flailing madly, cussing up a storm that would make even Knuckles cringe. Shadow feared venturing too near the hedgehog as that punch had _stung_. Certainly a wakeup call for them both.

"_GETOUTGETOUTGETOUT—!"_

"Sonic, calm _down_!"

"'Calm down'? CALM DOWN?! I'LL GIVE YOU '_CALM DOWN'_, YOU JERK!"

With that, Sonic launched himself at Shadow, murderous intent smouldering in his usually docile gaze. Shadow felt the vibes, uncaring, and restrained himself from defending the blows that gradually grew sluggish and fewer as the azure Mobian tired himself out. A few minutes passed and Sonic was straddling Shadow, fists still beating away on the ebony furry, but without conviction of any sort.

Eventually the motions ceased entirely. Tears were flowing freely down the cheeks of the one above. Shadow wiped them away dubiously, watching every move Sonic made. He was panting heavily, struggling to stay upright. His surge of adrenaline was wearing away fast, aches and sores replacing it. The adrenaline was only ever a substitute for his pain, mental or physical.

"Y-you—I can't believe—you're such—"

Words were hard to process, and even harder to say. Sonic was getting choked up, staring down at the stupidly beautiful face he had grown so accustomed to seeing, and adored dearly. Never before had he wanted never to see that stupid face again as he did then.

"I-I can't _believe_ you—why did you—why ... why, Shadow, _why_?"

The last 'why' came as a plea, a subtle hint of repressive sorrow. He needed an explanation, not a want, a _need_. Although, before Shadow could open his mouth, Sonic collapsed on top of the hedgehog, deep, heart wrenching sobs shaking his form as he cried on to his chest. Guilt became evermore present in the darker Mobian's mind, but he couldn't deny his instincts. Wary of his spines, he snaked his arms about the waist of the frail hedgehog crying to his heart, pulling him as close as possible without inflicting any external pain.

Internal pain, well ... that was another matter, to be addressed at another time.

Words were not needed with moments like these.

* * *

**. . ._ To be continued._**


	6. A Million Lights

Merry Christmas! :3

* * *

**A Million Lights**

* * *

Nothing made sense. The entire situation was one of bewilderment; up was down and down was up. The clouds swam dreamily along the floor while the grass grew happily on the ceiling. Gravity's validation was worthless in this place, and everything was perplexed. The birds were flapping harshly to only move a few feet at a time, and animals of the Earth ran through the sky, faster than they could hope for if on the ground. Piercing jade-green eyes stared around in awe – he said nothing but the emotion present in his eyes spoke loud and clear.

This place, disregarding how odd and absurd, was heavenly. There was no war or fighting. There was no sadness and pain. There was only joy and affection. Everything was in harmony with one another, feathery friends of the Sky singing songs of praise and delight, the creatures of the Earth joining in with melodious mewls and yips in tune, the timing perfect.

He walked forwards, his health and physical condition at its prime. He bore no battle wounds, which caused little puzzled thoughts to enter his mind, but he paid it no attention – this place was calling to him. This place offered him a sanctuary; _freedom_. It was something he sought all his life, who was he to bypass it now?

A disarmingly bright grin broke his previously stoic expression, merriment radiating from him in waves, strengthening with each tentative step he took. He needed to know that this place was true, was real – not just some conjuration of his fragile state of mind. He needed a place like this to exist, now more than ever. He needed a place to just – just go. Hide away from everyone he knew and all the problems they induced. Guilt gnawed faintly at his conscience – how could he be so selfish? So uncaring of those dear to him? How dare he want to just go!

But, no, not this time. He'd not let it affect him this time. This was his time, his life. It was time to base his decisions solely off his own intuition, not off of someone else's burden. He had only once been truly selfish in his life, he recalled, and that was the time Shadow killed himself in order to save everything, and everyone. He had wanted Shadow to stay with him, the world be damned! It was only after time of agony and sorrow that he realised that Shadow had done what was necessary – how could they share a life if there was no world, or them?

Absurd were his actions as of late. He got angry at Tails, and Knuckles had knocked him down, knocking a little sense in to his thick skull. Not that any of that mattered now; he was in a new place, a better place, and no force on Mobius or Heaven could remove him willingly. There was no going back now!

This was his choice. His choice of redemption in this place of unity of all beings.

Although, the further he moved, the darker it got, he noticed. Something was changing, he felt the air shift. No longer did the birds chime, nor did the animal's chorus. It was dead silence. He looked around swiftly, finding himself alone. An eerie feeling crept up along his spine, sending a chilling sensation to his brain, increasing his sense of vigilance – he was alert and ready to spring into action if the situation called upon it. Darkness was spreading quickly like the plague, shrouding a once beautiful sky of green and blue, casting a creepy setting instead. The ground beneath his sneakers took the same appearance, portraying the deepest shade of ebony he had only seen once before, coincidently on another furry such as himself.

His body tensed, eyes scanning the surrounding area with intense accuracy. It something was out of place, he would be the first to know. The darkness had settled, leaving him the only colourful thing within miles. He let out a breath. It echoed, as though he was situated in a long tunnel. Turning his head left and right once more, he pushed forwards – simply standing there left him a sitting duck. It was better to move than to stay. It was the first life lesson Mother Nature had taught him all those years back.

And so, there he was, the only living being as far as the eye could see. His footsteps made no noise; the only sound to be heard at all was his steady breathing. He walked for a long time, stopping only once or twice to ensure there was nothing trailing him. Beginning to feel a pit of despair filling his stomach, he increased his walking speed, wanting nothing more than to see a speck of life; anything, anyone! Silence and solitude were only a few of the things he hated most, water topping the list by lengths. Silence made him uncomfortable and being alone was a total bore. No amount of training or persistence would ever prepare him for the vast space he was traversing.

"Someone? Anyone! Can you hear me?" His voice resonated for a time before dying away to a quiet hum in the distance. He was beginning to get desperate, needing to see some form of life. _Anything_! "Anyone, everyone—call out to me! Please! My name is Sonic! Someone?"

He received not one response. He slowed his walking, eventually becoming stagnated in place, breathing surely becoming erratic. He was having a slight panic attack at the desolate location and him being the only one present. This was terribly wrong – what had he done to deserve _this_? He fell to his knees and tucked up on himself, arms cradled around his form, careful to avoid his deadly sharp spines along his backbone. He tried to take command of his breathing, attempting to calm his hectic nerves and frightened mind, but to no avail. He only succeeded in making it worse.

"Someone ... anyone ... can you hear me? Can anyone find me?"

He lay there, alone and afraid. He sought the comfort a warm hand would offer, the affection of a loving embrace. His body began to shake and he closed his eyes tight, not wanting to see the darkness anymore. How could he escape this place of torture and depression? How could anyone?

"Someone ... I'm calling out; can anyone hear me?" His voice was dwindling in volume, transforming from a desperate yell to a defeated whisper. "I need someone—are you there? Shadow, can you find me?"

Abrupt warmth overwhelmed the cool chill of depression over his mind, letting a calm sense of serenity settle in its place. He felt arms tighten around his form, uncaring about the hazardous spikes stuck to his back. They pulled him close, the affection undeniable within the embrace. Questions played in his mind as to the unfamiliar's identity but at that moment, he simply did not care to inquire – he relished the warmth the stranger willingly shared, even snuggling in further to gain more.

"You—you heard me? You came?"

"Of course, Sonic. I never left you."

His eyes shot open and a gasp emitted past his lips. Disbelieving emerald irises met blood red and he knew who his friendly stranger was immediately.

"Shadow!"

Shadow smiled gently, cupping his chin with a gloved hand. "I never left you, Sonic. I've always been there—even if you couldn't see me."

That is when he saw his surroundings. No longer was the darkness the only thing there; there were stars, thousands of stars. Little burning lights of hope that surrounded just the two of them, illuminating their forms with a light that was ethereal. A million little lights that let his hope burst free from the darkening descent it was on prior. His gaze returned to that of Shadow, eyes filled with feeling, saying all his voice did not.

"Shadow ..."

**. . . . .**

Sonic groaned lightly, eyes squinted together to help shield away the offensive sunlight, signalling the morning of a new day. He had been woken by the light shining directly in his face, rudely awaking his not-so-peaceful slumber. He made to sit up, only to hiss as a shooting pain originated from, well, his entire body. It felt like he had taken a beating from Knuckles without retaliating. Placing a palm to his forehead, he felt a bandage underneath his fingertips, also then noticing the absence of his gloves, revealing fuzzy peach hands. His feet, too, were bare. Why, he was unsure, but he did not quite have the motivation to care once his headache kicked in fully. It felt like a bulldozer was constantly whacking his mind.

"Man, what the hell ...?" he muttered, wiping his palm down along his face, sighing lightly. His memory was a little clouded over the past few days' antics, but a few details sprung forth clearly every now and then. Nothing made sense, though. He had thoughts of Silver being angry, but at whom and why, he had no clue. He pictured Tails and Knuckles looking at him with determination, a few patches here and there. "That's the last time I eat a super-chilidog. I bet that's what caused this!"

Slowly, he slid his bruised body to the edge of the plush bed, not wanting to retreat from the soft-warm mattress and bedding, but his determination to find out more about the last few days persisted relentlessly. Thus, eventually, he was upright on the edge, waiting for the sleepy haze to clear from his vision in order to move without colliding with some inanimate object in his path. Soon enough, the room stopped swimming in and out of view, objects solidifying and staying put. Taking in a deep breath of air, the cobalt Mobian pushed away from the safety of the bed and swayed on the spot, using the best of his natural instincts to balance his wobbly stature. He waited a few minutes and his impatience grew – he despise being vulnerable, the worst type was being unable to move adequately within needing the use of something to lean on, or against.

"I hope I heal quickly from this," he mumbled grumpily, glaring at the floor like it had insulted him. "Just where on Mobius am I, anyway?"

A quick observation of his surroundings answered his query – he was at Rouge's current accommodation. Just how he got there was another question of many zooming about his mind like a race track. For once, he wished that everything would just slow down, become calm. The incredible paces of thoughts were not helping his headache, which was progressing to a migraine. That was another one of his petty hates; internal pain. External could be easily dealt with and ignored. Inside, however, not so much. It was a pain in his ass – _literally_!

Gradually, he closed the space between him and the door. Once it was in his arms reach, he clasped the handle with an outstretched hand, the other aiding in keeping his balance in check, and pulled lightly on it. The door that had not been closed fully, just to, opened without an issue and gave him access to the hallway outside. Gingerly, he advanced forwards, his pace still slow and steady, heading in the direction of a television in the background. He guessed it was in the living room. The hallway seemed a lot longer than before due to his current state and the walk to said living space was agonisingly sluggish, taking more time than he wanted it to. His effort paid off though, as when he entered the doorway to the conjoining the room and hallway, he spotted Rouge sitting casually on one of the couches, looking at some sort of fashion magazine, from what he could see.

He stopped in the doorway, hoping to draw her attention somehow. The method came to him naturally when his breath caught in his already sore throat, forcing him to cough severely, startling the bat from her self-induced daydream. Her head swung around, eye widening at spying the Hero of Mobius weaving back and forth, appearing dangerously close to passing out.

"Big Blue! What're you doing out of bed? Hedgehogs, I swear—stubborn headed as each other." Despite her comment, Rouge rushed over to provide a support for Sonic to lean on. She put an arm around his waist and put the closest one of his over her shoulder. "Come on, sugar. Let's get you settled on a cosy couch. Someone in your condition shouldn't be trotting around merrily."

Sonic let out a puff of air to expose his amusement. Rouge, in her own way, was rather humorous. There were many times that Sonic wanted to fall to the floor in laughter when her and Knuckles began a dispute. Nothing compared to when they argued, except perhaps, if him and the Knucklehead did. Still, she was unconsciously hilarious.

"Here, sit," Rouge said, her tone gentle and comforting, "I'll run and get you a blanket and some water. I've no doubt you're parched, and probably hungry."

"Famished," Sonic croaked, his voice hoarse from under-use. He gave her a warm, but small smile, silently telling her to not worry so much. "Thank you, I appreciate the help."

She waved a hand at him, returning his smile with a cheeky grin of her own. "Think nothing of it, hon. Since your caretaker isn't here, I figured I'd help out until he returned."

"Caretaker ...?" he mirrored, voice going unheard as she departed the room for the items she sought. "He? He, who? Tails?"

He shook his head to dispel further thoughts. He just wanted a little bit of peace and quiet before he began his interrogation on Rouge. The poor girl was unaware and undeserving, but he longed for answers and she was the most capable being of answering right then. He waited patiently for her to return, eyeing the doorway with tired eyes. Rouge appeared mere moments later, a fluffy blanket and a glass of fresh water in tow. He smiled gratefully at her as she placed the blanket over him tenderly, ensuring she touched nothing bruised or aching, and he graciously accepted the water, retaining his indebted beam. He sipped the water leisurely, not wanting to rush despite his reckless urge to swallow large gulps. Rouge perched next to him on the couch, watching with apprehension – the last thing she wanted was for him to get his sores wet.

Once finished with his fill, the azure furry handed the half empty glass to the waiting female. She took it and placed it on the coffee table, returning her attention to Sonic. She examined him carefully, noting any expression change is she poked an especially tender part, checking to make sure nothing was open or had a sign of infection to come. He let her do her thing, wincing every now and then, waiting for her to finish. Once done, she resumed her previous position, satisfied with her examination and she offered him a refreshing smile.

"An unanswered question will drive you insane, Big Blue. I have no doubt that you have a few, so start shooting and I'll give up what I know."

"Thanks, Rouge," Sonic began, sincerity clear in his tone, "and you're right—I have a few. We may be here a while."

"Why do you think I sat you on the nicer couch for, sugar? Fire away."

And so, the intensely heated discussion between them began. Sonic flung multiple inquiries at the bat and she responded expertly, never missing a beat. Once or twice she hesitated on her answer, though, and it was mostly on questions pertaining to how he got there and who had been caring for him. He had a feeling that something was amiss – that she was hiding something, a secret that he should know but she would not repeat. He alternated his questions, changing around the words of one's already asked in an attempt to catch her off guard. His persistence in that criterion bore fruitless endings as she was too damn good at this. It was her job, after all.

Rouge had realised that his memory was not quite up-to-date with the past bearings, and she did not want to jog memories that could haunt the poor hedgehog simply because he wanted to know. He seemed to remember nothing of Shadow, and she sure as hell was not going to be the one to explain to him how he came back from the dead – not as a zombie, nonetheless. It was Shadow's fault and Shadow would be the one to annotate, not her.

"Look, hon, there's some things that I won't tell, for your sake. You'll get all your answers you seek shortly—but _not_ from me," she explained, feeling a little guilt at the expression of disappointment scrawled on Sonic's fuzzy face. "There are some things that are better left unsaid, certainly by me. But when _he_ gets home, you can ask him, okay?"

"'Him'?" he mirrored, a frown creasing up his features. There was a lot of talk about "him" this and "he" that, but she always diverted the question when it came to "his" persona. Was it someone he did not like? Only time would tell, and Rouge said the answers would come shortly. "Alright, I'll bite. I'll wait for 'him' to come home."

She smiled apologetically, but it did nothing to appease his down casted mood. He was grumpy and in pain all over – he had a right to be in a mood! He only hoped that 'he' would return soon, he was beginning to feel exhaustion willing him to sleep more ...

**. . . . .**

Shadow was not in a good mood.

No, in fact, he was in a God-damned awful mood, all thanks to that damned bat he called his housemate. She had sent him on several errands when he stated earlier in the day that he needed to venture outside to clear his head, instantly grabbing the chance to not run them herself. He cursed his need to broadcast his leaving to whoever was near, to ensure that someone knew where he was (they all worried like idiots otherwise), and she pounced on him, forced the shopping list in his hand and had smiled at him, telling him to "have fun".

Damned females were frustrating. Especially Rouge. _'Then again, that pink siren is a close contestant. She's the reason he is in that condition presently. I hope this teachers a lesson or two so I don't have to.' _He commonly got lost in his thoughts. He did it so often it took Rouge a good ten minutes to wake him from his thought-induced stupor. Frequently she threw things at him, knowing his reflexes would kick in and snap him out of it in time, otherwise he would have various bumps and bruises. _'I do wonder how he is doing. I've been out for longer than I intended. I hope he didn't wake yet.'_

Shadow sighed, retracing his steps home. He would have warped but he felt like a walk. And Rouge had threatened to remove his spines manually if he frightened her again by warping in to the room she was in. So, walking home was the nicer option. He liked his spines, thank you very much!

"She had better appreciate the drama I went through to go shopping. I never knew so many creatures actually _liked_ this."

Shadow was not a buddy-buddy Mobian. He preferred personal space and privacy to closeness and social gatherings. Too many critters around made it impossible to think, one of his most cherished pastimes. Then again, he liked being around Sonic, no matter how loud the blue blur became, or how much commotion he caused. He caused the ebony hedgehogs a lot of headaches and messes to clean, but he truly did not mind it. If it were anyone else, he would obliterate them with one swoop of a Chaos Blast. Sonic, though ... he was very different. He was noise that he was fond of listening to. A mess he liked to clean.

"I'm getting soft in my old age," he grumbled, ears perking up at Rouge's cottage coming into view. The walk had been shorter than he hoped, but welcomed nevertheless. "I do hope he is still in the world of dreams ..."

He approached the door without caution and grabbed the handle, balancing groceries skilfully in one arm. Twisting the knob, he pushed it open with an elbow, using his head to keep the top bag from falling. Once inside, he kicked the door firmly shut behind him and walked towards the kitchen, needing to divert through the living room to do so. The television was playing some moronic soap opera Rouge liked and he could not prevent the drastic roll of his ruby eyes.

"Rouge, are you still watching that trash—?"

His following words caught in his throat as he entered the living room. Sonic was sat on the couch next to a smug looking Rouge. His mouth was hanging wide open and his eyes owl-like wide, finger pointing at Shadow, hand shaking slightly from being held up solo. Shadow swallowed a large lump forming in his throat and licked his lips, which had gone suddenly dry. The temperature in the warm room seemed to drop a thousand degrees as their eyes maintained contact; his wary and guarded, Sonic's confused and pained. Why did he seem so shocked at seeing him? Did he not recall their meeting the other day? Shadow did. He still had the bruise to prove it.

"Sonic? Why are you out of bed—you should be resting."

"Y-y-you!" Sonic squeaked, hand falling to rest on the couch. His mouth no longer hung open, but his eyes remained large and glossy. "I'm not dreaming—it's you! Rouge, pinch me!"

Rouge was taken aback. "Huh?"

"Pinch me!" Sonic repeated, gaze never leaving the ebony hedgehog. "Now!"

She shrugged and pinched Sonic on the arm. He complained with a small "Ow!" and rubbed his arm where she pinched, eyes narrowing. He then returned to staring at Shadow, who had not moved since laying eyes upon the other hedgehog. He dared not move in case he sparked some form of violence from the azure furry. That was the last thing he needed right now – Sonic raged again and wanting to kill him.

"So, I'm _not_ dreaming! You're alive!"

"Yes, I'm alive."

"Shut up Shadow! I was making an observation!"

"Quite an obvious one, I would say," Shadow said coolly, weary of Sonic's motives. His eyes had become tinted with a fury that would surely burn if brought to life, and apparently, sarcastic remarks from him were not well received at that moment in time, as Sonic had tried to jump up to pummel the paralyzed hedgehog in the doorway, stopped only by pain and a lack of strength. Not to mention Rouge had pounced on him too. He sighed heavily, placing the groceries safely on a decorative table to his right. "I apologise, there was no need for audacity."

"You can shove your apology up your butt, Shadow! I don't want an apology—I want answers!"

Anger was the dominant emotion fuelling Sonic's tone. Shadow was not surprised, he had expected nothing less. Although, answers were what Sonic sought, they were something he was unwilling to give right then. Being the source of further heartache for Sonic was not on his agenda for the evening. Therefore, he moved towards Sonic, who tensed despite the pain. He stepped carefully around the hedgehog, the Hero of Mobius watching his every step like a hawk. Once safely around the couch and out of Sonic's reach, Shadow took a pew on the smaller couch opposite the one the duo sat on. He said nothing, for he had nothing decent to say.

He really felt that he did not deserve the blessing of talking civilly with Sonic. He was not even sure if he should stay in the same room. It was sheer selfishness that made him stay.

"Shadow—I want answers! You'd better give me what I want, or so help you!"

Shadow smiled, but it was one without emotion. It was dry, devoid. Sonic misread it for a smirk and, again, attempted to lunge at the Ultimate Life Form, only to be foiled by shooting pains and a well-reflexed Rouge. He hated what his presence was doing to Sonic – forcing the anger out that had been buried for so long – and pondered on vacating the room of his personal. It was the look he received from Rouge that forced him to stay – a look of "if you leave now, you'll hurt him more than staying". Rouge was too good at reading Mobian's, _far_ too good.

"How the hell are you alive?!" The first question and the most obvious. Unfortunately, it was something he would not speak of, as he was too ashamed of remembering it. The simple recollection of memories made him want to shoot himself in the head. "Shadow, how the hell are you sitting here right now?! How are you alive?!"

"Forgive me, Sonic," Shadow started, his voice quiet and sad, "but that is something I cannot reveal. I beg for you to understand."

"Understand? Understand?! How can I _understand _being left to think that the one I love the most was dead, but was actually alive all this time?! Tell me how I'm supposed to understand _that,_ Shadow!" Sonic growled, tone increasing in pitch and volume with each word spat forth at the coal-coloured furry. "Tell me, Shadow, how _anyone_ in their right mind would understand!"

"I can't inform you on something I haven't experienced, Sonic. I am sorry."

"I don't want your apologies! I want explanations!"

"Again, I apologise. There are some things better left unsaid." He hated not sharing his reasoning's with Sonic, but they were as he said, better left untold.

"Oh, so, you're telling me that you're not telling me why you abandoned me, for my own good?" Sonic sniffed at the other with distain clearly portrayed. "Yeah, like I'm going to believe that Shadow. You're so damned selfish it's sickening."

"I sicken you?" A tint of hurt leaked out in a tiny voice. If Sonic had not been listening closely, he'd have missed the few words entirely.

Sonic glared profusely at the saddened tone. It made him feel guilty about what he said, something he should not feel! He had every right to be thoroughly peeved at the Ultimate Life Form, who refused to share the answers he wanted. He had every right to want to punch the living daylights out from those captivating red eyes. But nooo – his stupid sense of passion and love wanted to comfort the repulsively enchanting hedgehog instead of smacking him upside his stupidly spiked head! The conflict in him was beginning to show, drawing the full attention of Shadow again, who had decided it was best for him to stare at the floor, or the ceiling – anywhere but at Sonic.

His heart ached at the melancholy written across the azure furry's face. He wanted to sooth away the discomfort and exasperation with gentle words and sweet promises of something better. His hand began to rise, reaching out for Sonic, and to his dismay, his beloved recoiled away from him, further in to the couch, a disgusted disgruntle his only look for Shadow.

"Sonic—"

"No, Shadow, just no. I don't want to hear any more excuses. You either tell me, or you don't—it's simple. You made your choice to not tell me, and my choice—" Sonic delayed, his nose scrunching up in displeasure; disappointment. "—my choice ... I don't want to speak to you. If it can be helped, I don't want to _see_ you. Even if I need to walk around with my eyes closed."

Shadow's heart plunged, a void of undiluted anguish replacing it. Sonic didn't want him – he couldn't even bear witness to his existence. The dark furry had thought he knew of pain, but he never felt anything like he was then. The only time he could compare was when he lost Maria – it was like history wanted to repeat itself, and there wasn't a damned thing he could do to remedy it. What was he supposed to do now? Leave the only place he could call home on the planet?

_'If it were to please him, then, yes, I would disappear ...'_

**. . . . .**

Dark thoughts plagued the mind of the dark Hero. It had been days – _days!_ – since Sonic had stopped speaking to him, and Shadow was struggling to continue to be in his presence without really being there. So much had happened in the short space of three days, so much that he felt the claws of misery digging deeper with each fading hour. When he woke in the morning, no longer did he feel like he could take on the world – he felt like the entity of Space was against him. Not that he blamed Space; he was getting nothing but what he deserved for deceiving and deserting Sonic. Nothing would ever excuse his terrible action; karma had come back around and this was his price to pay.

Some days he found it hard to get out of bed.

Others, he nearly lost the will to continue living, mind snidely taunting him to take the "easy way out".

Those days, those days were the worst. He was uncertain at how much more agony he could keep contained within his body. Something had to break soon, and if not his body or mind, it'd be his soul. The cracks in his usually flawless jaded facade were beginning to show, thin lines that amplified with each glimpse of the Hero of Mobius. He only wondered at what would shatter first – only time would tell, and time was the thing he was running out of.

He _knew_ it. Time would be his undoing.

He tried his hardest to forge a new foundation with the blue blur, only to have his attempts shot down in flames, each retaliation descending into something more unjustified and cruel that the one before. His mind ebbed away with each scornful remark, his conviction dwindling to a shadow of its former self. Sonic was, exclusively, the only one that could say such things to him without his temper burning red. If some other fool had called him a "waste of space" or an "ungrateful jerk", they'd be nothing but ash on the ground, flowing away with the wind from a well timed Chaos Spear. But Sonic ... he'd never touch a spine on his head.

His love was too strong to contemplate such a wicked deed.

Sonic's attitude towards him had worsened progressively. If he even saw Shadow now, he'd snarl ferociously at him and leave the room. What had his chances of reuniting himself with his beloved become if he couldn't stand his company, even for seconds at a time?

_'Perhaps,' _he thought, his chin resting on his enclosed hands, _'perhaps I'm too much of an abomination to stand next to. He used to stand tall by my side—proud and righteous. Now all he wants is my head on a platter. How am I to compete with his animosity when it grows with each passing day? How can I think that he—that he'd even still want me? After all I've done, I wouldn't want me.'_

Unable to answer his inner monologue, Shadow pushed away from his bed and walked out the open door. He arrived in the kitchen without a confrontation – he'd been avoiding Sonic all day, just to keep the calm he required to heal efficiently – when an alarmingly vicious growl sounded to his right. His head turned slowly, locking onto eyes smouldering so bright in the flames of abhorrence, he was afraid he'd spontaneously combust. He couldn't maintain eye contact for more than a moment, and so he forced his eyes to the floor, hands clenched in tight balled fists, shaking slightly.

The hatred shining so bright made him want the floor to swallow him whole, never to return.

He continued on his way, trying his best to not let the snort of contempt injure his already torn heart. Not that it worked. A tight grip encased his beating organ, making it quite hard to breathe normally. He needed air; some space. Sonic would happily agree and show his to the exit.

"I—I'm heading out. Will you be alright alone?" Shadow asked a little hesitance in the beginning.

A grunt of acknowledgement was his reply.

"Very well. If you find yourself in danger, Rouge provided you with some phone numbers next to the landline." He swallowed the tight knot in his throat. "My cell is on there—in case you need immediate assistance—"

"Pfft, like I'd want _your_ help."

He staggered a little, on the inside. Outside, he was a statue, cold and emotionless. "Any immediate danger and I will be there. You have my word."

"Like that _means_ anything to me, coming from _you_."

"I shall be leaving now. Do take care not to strain any of your afflictions—they're healing extremely well. Goodnight, Sonic."

"Get lost Shadow, and don't come back."

A sigh was the only response he had to such chilly words. The worst thing was he knew that Sonic meant every word he said – he _always_ did. Shadow headed for the backdoor to the cottage, located – conveniently – in the kitchen. He pulled the handle down and opened the door, pausing only to sneak a quick peek at the other hedgehog in there. Sonic was ignoring his existence, as per usual, and Shadow stepped through the door, closing it securely behind him.

What he didn't see, was the moment he left, Sonic collapsed on to his knees, hands wrapped firmly around his body in an attempt to suppress heart-wrenching sobs that rocked his fragile body.

Shadow wandered aimlessly for the first half hour of his expedition to nowhere in particular. The night air always provided a much appreciated limpid atmosphere, welcoming each and everyone to surrender to its calming melodies. He liked darkness better than he did the light; light did nothing but hurt his eyes. He'd shield his eyes with an arm, only to squint at endless luminosity.

That particular night had a bitter chill in the light breeze that flowed through his obsidian fur. The cold didn't affect him – he wasn't the Ultimate Life Form for nothing. Only very extreme temperatures could shake his impressive resistance, even then, it'd have to be supreme. He locked his hands behind his head, tilting his chin up to observe the night sky. It was blurry, clouded by wisps of the clouds of the daylight, concealing away a very bright moon and sparkly stars. Shadow liked the sky. The stars reminded him of Sonic's eyes – fascinating and full of life.

He wondered if those eyes would ever gaze upon him with awe again. One could dream, could they not?

_'My wants are becoming just that lately—nothing but cold, cruel dream, dancing further out of my reach each time I try to snatch them back. I always hope for a better tomorrow, but the future has never looked so bleak before. Do I—do I even have a future?'_

Shadow persisted on his outdoor venture. He eventually found himself walking along a beach, longing to see the night skies stars more and more. The stars comforted him, whispered ludicrous promises of mornings to come – which was impossible, stars couldn't talk. But to him, somehow, they did. And every time they did, he listened with great care, remembering what the ancient balls of burning gas had to say. Perhaps he was going insane, talking to stars and all that. He'd never know. In his view, he'd never been sane to begin with.

Sand kicked up behind his every step, his gravity sneakers making no sound as they passed over the versatile substrate. His head was down, his mind blank. Only the waves gently lapping the ocean shore ministered a palliative sound. It was reassuring that nature at least, hadn't given up on him. If it had, he'd have been eaten by a bear or something by now. Out here, he could remove the disguise he manifested to shield his inner workings from the world. Out here, he could lower every defence he created to protect his frail heart from total destruction. Out here, he could just be ... Shadow; the Ultimate Life Form by birth; the willing, trusting mortal by choice.

He sacrificed his immortality the day Sonic believed he perished. He was still near on indestructible, with incredible strength and extraordinary healing skills and astonishing speed – but he was killable. If something really desired it, they'd destroy his shell.

He chose this path, for Sonic. If only he could bring himself to tell him. Every time he tried, something stopped him, like a presence popped up and choked him, stopping the words from being said aloud. He despised his inability to vocalise his thoughts and feelings – he was crying out for help for someone to save him, to save him from himself.

Shadow's mind returned to the one of the living, gazing onwards at a collection of rocks parting the beach. He scanned them, pondering a way over, when he spotted a slight opening a little way off, hanging over the edge of the sea. Only those trained to spot details would notice it. It was the perfect hiding place – solitary and secret from the rest of the world. With caution he proceeded towards the rocky structure. He secured a grip with his hands, ensuring the smooth material wasn't too slippery from the water, and gradually shimmied along the convenient edging along the bottom. It took him seconds to reach it, but when he did, his effort paid off – this secluded area was beautiful.

Small lagoons pooled off in exquisite shapes, illuminated by glow-in-the-dark plant life that clung to the rocky ceiling, shades of blue and green reflecting on the still-water's surface. Mixtures moulded more colours, patchworks upon the surface. It certainly was a sight to behind, Sonic would've –

Shadow grimaced – Sonic. Sonic would love this place. Too bad that they'd probably never speak more than a few words at a time again.

He sighed heavily, thinking of himself of sounding like an exhausted old Mobian, tired of living, longing to fall into a permanent slumber. An opening at the mouth of the cave overlooked the ocean. It was high enough to evade the splashes against the rocky textile, but low enough to appreciate the simple serenity the open water offered. He found himself drawn to the opening, straying away from the fabulous light show to sit at on the edge, feeling much like a cliff edge, and wondering if he would dare the jump of imminent doom.

He sat there for a time, staring out at the ocean. It was dark, still in the very early hours of the morning, but the clouds had begun to shift. He hadn't noticed before, being stuck in his own little world, but when he looked up at the sky, he was shocked to see millions of stars beaming down on him. One in particular shined brightest – it was the one he followed once when feeling lost, and it had leaded him straight into Sonic's awaiting embrace. He had known Shadow would find him, how and why, he did not know, but he didn't feel like asking. Some things just _were_.

A million lights burned brightly above him, a dozen tiny sparkles twinkling in his slowly-breaking ruby eyes. Nothing else mattered then, but him and the stars. Sonic had first showed him the beauty of stargazing, and Shadow had accommodated into his daily life, trying each and every night to glance up at the lights. It had brought smiles of inner peace to him before, but now, they only induced ghosts of smiles on a trembling lip.

Sonic had once called him a Hero – _his_ Hero. He had saved the world, and everything the azure furry held dear. Everyone had cheered his name and celebrated his being. Their Hero had saved them.

But, who saves the Hero, after he saves the world?

* * *

**. . . _To be continued._**


	7. Incomplete

A short apology on the length of time between chapter posts! Sorry! D:

* * *

**Incomplete**

* * *

He was sat there again, like he had done for the past few nights, alone and grumpy. Rouge had sat with him many times in an attempt to stimulate his comatose-like state into a conversation, but he shot down each trial, and in the end, she gave up, called him a "stuck-up, headstrong imbecile", stating he knew nothing of how lucky he was – not many people could say they escaped death as much as he. She recalled a time at which she wished that she'd have the opportunity to have a second attempt at starting life over, and there he was, wallowing in self pity on his third attempt. How _selfish_ of him.

The ivory bat hadn't realised then, but she had whacked a delicate nerve directly on the head with a theoretical mallet. There had been numerous times at which he had been called selfish in the past few weeks, more so in the short amount of time that passed than in the rest of his life. Odd how things like that play out. He was selfish for "faking" his death; he was selfish for leaving Sonic; he was selfish for revealing himself after such a long absence; he was selfish for living. He'd admit, the last one stung a little.

He had done his best to remedy the chaos he stirred within the golden heart of his beloved with sincere apologies and the greatest of intentions to benefit the azure Mobian, but how could he possibly apologise for breathing? There was no possible way to correct that mistake except for death and that wasn't an option; for if he were to do that, he would truly never be forgiven.

The Hero of Mobius was gradually returning to the joyful, carefree speedster that they all knew and loved, but this was when Shadow wasn't present. The moment the ebony hedgehog stepped on to the stage, there returned the cold and solemn façade, crafted especially for him. He'd have felt special, if not for the fact it was given by the one he cherished most in his lowly, pathetic attempt of a third life. He knew it would take a long, long time to fix what he had broke so negligently. A _long_ time.

So, there he was, slouched on his favourite spot of the couch, flipping nonchalantly through the ridiculous channels aired on the daytime T.V time. All the best shows started later at night because some content wasn't "suitable" for younger viewers – Shadow called this as unfair; why should he suffer idiotic programs throughout the day because some stranger declared that children shouldn't watch his show? If the parents really cared, they'd not have a television. Or, just don't have kids. Problem solved.

"But no," he muttered irritably, "because of some snot-nosed brats, I needlessly suffer 'happy hour' on every damned channel. Time goes by so slowly."

Eventually the searching became more than tedious, so he settled on a daytime "soap", whatever that was. The more he watched of it, the more he came to understand why people always complained about them; they were full of non-stop, unnecessary drama. Then someone either died or cheated on their partner, then it ended until the next showing. On this particular show, some bird was chasing a cat, the cat was screaming for help but none came, the bird cackling manically, frightening the feline further.

_'… I swear I can feel my brain cells dying just by watching this. What a day this will be …'_

Finally, the bird caught the cat and she screamed louder, until the bird knocked her out. With a quick sweep of his surroundings, he began to drag the body off, staring straight at the camera obviously filming him, and smiled a very dirty smile. Shadow stared at the screen, unimpressed. Just the typical day in the life of those who lived in the West end of the largest city. The credits rolled, finally the title of "Westenders" blaring out in bold white until the picture faded to black, making way for commercials.

_'What a stupid thing,' _he thought, closing his eyes whilst in-taking a deep breath. _'I swear I saw something extremely similar back in the human world … something about a major city and a brewery named after their Queen? … Bah, I don't know―I can't even explain why I watch such trash.'_

Shadow placed a gloved hand on his face, rubbing it slowly along the length, halting at his chin. Time was wilting away slowly, even more so since he had brought Sonic there. He was used to face-paced, life threatening situations and high-speed races with his greatest rival – not idly twiddling his thumbs while all his attempts at reconnecting with said hedgehog were blown back in his face. He wasn't sure of how much more his bruised conscience could take. Every rejection and refusal was taking its toll; he began to understand why it was the human race despised those feelings so … they were not in the slightest bit nice. In fact, some days, it made him want to flee without looking back.

Those days were the worst.

"Keh, another episode of that daft show ..." His hand flopped back to rest on the couch beside him. "It's not like I have anything better to do right now ..."

Sudden movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention and Shadow tensed immediately, preparing to attack whatever it was sneaking up on him … only to falter and feel rather foolish at Sonic glaring at him disapprovingly, arms folded, body language far from friendly. Settling back down awkwardly and breaking all eye contact, Shadow fidgeted before finding his comfort zone on the worn sofa, not fully relaxing. Sonic was unpredictable at best, but lately, the further he came to being fully recovered, the more erratic the mood swings and anger outbursts (commonly directed at Shadow). He thought it to be best to be always on guard in his presence since the day the azure furry nearly took off his head with a knife thrown swiftly his way. As much as he didn't deserve to be around Sonic, decapitating himself wouldn't cure their problems.

Sonic vehemently disagreed though. Said Mobian sat down casually on the other end of the couch that Shadow claimed for himself, calm and quiet – a deadly combination for him. Though he seemed relaxed and at peace, the darker one of the two knew better; he knew of the tricks Sonic liked to pull.

Though, despite his suspicions, Sonic rested there nicely, composed with his attention on the T.V set. Shadow eyed him with caution before joining him in watching the brain-numbing show that was still on. It was so dumb, that the sheer simplicity of its stupidity made Shadow want to burst out laughing with each death threat posed on a main character. Not one Mobian alive acted like the show portrayed. It was bogus in every concept.

"Oh, look," Sonic mumbled, instantly distracting Shadow from the idiots parading about on the screen. "That guy said he loved that guy, yet just went and stabbed him in the back. I wonder why I find that so easy to relate to? Odd really."

Shadow's inner conscience pulled a very sour expression at the simple monologue the blue blur recited. It was a not-very-subtle snip at him, and Sonic was aware of it. Externally however, he made no move to recognise the blatant assault at his actions. Instead, he focused back on the screen with indifference; the last thing he needed was to fuel the petty insults into ascending to something much more sinister.

Sonic watched Shadow from the corner of his eye, noting no change of visual articulation. With a quick burst of exhalation, he stretched out all his limbs, relishing the feeling of no lingering injuries upon them, inadvertently brushing his knuckles up against the soft dusk fuzz of the dark furry's shoulder, making him jump slightly. Without his gloves on, Sonic couldn't deny the sudden jolt of electricity that sparked upon the moment of contact; his mind may lie in saying that he never wanted to touch the insolent betrayer again, but his body could not. Not that he'd let Shadow know.

"Ha-ha-ha, now he went and said that he never loved him in the first place! What a liar―who does that anyway? Who could willingly hurt one they claim to love so dearly? Who would be selfish enough to think only of themselves?" He shook his spiky blue head in mock disgust, purposely trying to rile up the hedgehog next to him. "Who would do that, Shadow? Not anyone I know of, surely ..."

Shadow remained silent at first, then spoke in a monotone, "I don't know Sonic. A creature with no other option, perhaps?"

"No other option but to destroy the heart of the one they love? Unlikely―they're more than likely too cowardly."

The dark one zipped his hypothetical mouth and folded his arms across his chest. He may be the Ultimate Life Form and everything, but with Sonic obviously baiting him in an attempt to initiate an argument, there was only so much taunting he could take. He was only a mortal after all.

_'Is this truly the life of a mortal? Overly emotional and contemptibility? I honestly don't comprehend why Sonic loves it so much―but, I will never wish that I took back that contract. Giving up my immortality to spend the rest of my mortal life with Sonic was a price worth paying for ten times over.' _A ghost of a smile traced itself over his creamy muzzle fur, unaware of Sonic sneaking a glance his way, infuriated by his smile, uncaring of how small and what it was for. _'… But am I to truly spend the rest of my life like this? Clinging on to something that wants nothing more to do with me?' _He turned his head, ruby red irises locking to the furry cobalt blue he adored so. _'… Yes. If it shall be so, I will spend the rest of my life chasing the one thing I cherish the most. I'll protect you for all eternity.'_

"Oh, look! Right at the end, he faked his own death. How cliché. I mean, really, who does that these days? Who really puts their loved ones through hell and back for their own greedy whims? Who does that, Shadow?"

Shadow restrained a twitch in response to the chilly intonation Sonic spat out his name with. With his nerves on the very edge, he found it difficult to not reply with rage. His temper was at boiling point and his patience tethered, but still, he maintained his outer cool. "I don't know Sonic―someone at the edge of Oblivion with their beloved, condemning himself to the endless torment of the afterlife to spare his most dear from that life? Perhaps if the majority of beings weren't so quick to belittle the sacrifice given so willingly by the 'selfish fool', they'd open their eyes long enough to see the complete devastation that befell the fool for choosing the path he did―if only to serve as a new life for his beloved."

Sonic blinked a few times, a little bedazzled by the abrupt scripture thrown his way from Shadow. The ebony hedgehog had resulted to saying very little to him over the past few days, so saying very much at once was quite a rarity. He didn't take long to process the words and for them to dissolve straight to his anger pooling about his mind, though. Shadow was making a lame attempt at giving an excuse for his appalling choices made little over a year ago. No way was he going to let the insufferable thick-headed dummy make him feel guilty! No way!

"What you did was nothing more than selfish, Shadow! You left me! You left me and then return out of the blue a year later, claiming you cherish me above all, but fail to elaborate on how you survived and why it took you so damn long to find me!"

Shadow clenched his hands into tight fists. Each exclamation made by the other hedgehog was damaging the restraints built around his fury. Frayed edges and tears were beginning to show, and in turn, rage began pooling from him in small little red waves of Chaos energy. He knew not of why his anger sparked so quickly, or why an irksome little voice in the back of his head was egging him on, provoking him almost – it wanted him to set a Chaos Blast upon Sonic.

_'What? No! I won't do that!'_

But still, its yearning morphed to demands, pressuring him. It was suffocating, warping his senses. It ordered him to do it, and if he didn't comply, then it would _force_ him. Just what in the world was it?

_'I will not harm him in any way! I swear, I'll tear out my brain if necessary.'_

"Ignoring me now, Shadow? Another reason why you should just leave. Or maybe I should leave―I'm fit enough to run now. What's stopping me from leaving? Nothing! Absolutely nothing!"

"Stop ..."

"Stop? Why should I stop? What makes you think I'll listen to _anything_ you say? You've done nothing but deceived me for the longest time―"

"N-no, I won't―!"

Sonic paused, the answers he was receiving were beginning to make no sense in response to his comments. "You won't?"

Shadow wasn't hearing Sonic. He couldn't apprehend anything but the pressurising essence within his own conscience, challenging his self-control to measures beyond any that he'd felt before. At first, he figured it was some malfunction with his design, but it snidely reminded him that he swapped his immortality for a squishy, very destructible body, therefore it made his thought invalid. It was something else – something powerful enough to tempt his darker desires. It was like presenting a recovering alcoholic with an endless supply of liquor, only if they completed a task so hideous to earn it. It had aroused his inner demons; his other side that he suppressed for the sake of Sonic alone.

It wanted him to destroy Sonic.

"You'll never make me do it!"

"_That is what you think."_

Shadow let go a roar of agony as the tension in his mind became too much – it felt like someone was pressing a scalding hot iron directly to his brain, poking endless holes simply for the fun of it. He crushed his hands against his head in an attempt to sooth the excruciating pain, eyes closed tight, teeth gritted together roughly. Sonic jumped a mile in the air when the other yelled, backing away slightly due to sudden shock. He was perplexed to say the least; what was happening with Shadow? He'd be a liar if he denied the surge of concern he felt for the ebony furry.

"Shadow―?"

"_NO_! I WON'T!"

"_Fool. You say that like you have a choice!"_

Shadow fell sideways off of the couch, hitting the floor without much of a care, twitching with each fresh wave of agony burning through his entire form, no longer just in his mind. Sonic remained on the sofa, unable to decipher what was happening, thus unable to provide any support for the hedgehog trembling from malady. The darker hedgehog curled in a tight ball, spines sticking out dangerously to whomever dared venture too close. All he wanted was for the pain to cease; it was pushing his sanity to breaking point. But, put simply, how can one dispose of something resounding from within?

"Shadow! Shadow―what's wrong?"

Shadow felt hands suddenly placed on him and his eyes snapped open. Sonic nearly jumped back from what he saw – Shadow's usual crimson irises burned a florescent yellow; they were locked upon him and he saw malevolent intent to cause serious harm.

"Sha―?"

"Sonic, _run_!"

Sonic had no room to question the cry. An abrupt red light obscured everything from view, blinding him momentarily as the flash consumed the entire room and beyond. The Hero of Mobius recognised the Chaos Blast instantly, though failed to understand just why Shadow would unleash one, let alone inside a building. A Chaos Blast did nothing but destroy everything within the radius … Realisation dawned on the blue critter – had Shadow meant to hurt him?

A lot of loud crashes and ear-splitting booms echoed as the remnants of the Chaos Blast disappeared to the air from which they came. Sonic unshielded his eyes (his arm had shot up instinctively to protect his delicate sight from the unsightly bright light) and he blinked a few times as the dust settled around him. After taking a few moments to take in his surroundings, his jaw dropped open comically.

Shadow had annihilated everything around them. They were perched in the middle of a good sized crater, no form of Rouge's condo left.

The Ultimate Life Form reopened his eyes also, the sinister golden hues removed, replaced with his natural ruby glow. He blinked a few times also, bewildered. He glanced at Sonic, who was staring at him with wide eyes.

"... What happened?"

Sonic dead-panned, incredulous. "You … don't remember?"

Shadow felt a little embarrassed. He could not recall the last few moments that had just passed. The only thing he could picture was a cryptic, malicious sensation flooding his mind, taking over completely. After that, a surge of intense power, then he woke up to his surroundings being nothing but debris. "No, I do not. What happened?"

Sonic didn't know where to begin. "Well―uh―you blew up the house."

"I did what?"

"He did what?!"

Both hedgehog's heads whipped around quickly, wide eyed and startled. Standing at the very edge of the crater was a very peeved looking bat. Her arms were folded and her expression stern. Her foot was tapping on the floor and she glared at them expectantly.

"What did you do to my house, Shadow Hedgehog?!"

"I―uh, that is―"

"He went psycho and obliterated everything because he handles arguments like a wimp."

Shadow's face fell and he glared at Sonic impassively. "I do not handle them like―"

"Disregarding how Shadow manages conflicts, why was my house blown up?!"

"It was an accident, Rouge―"

"Stepping on someone's foot is an accident! This is an abomination―there are no excuses, buster!"

Shadow sighed deeply, eyes searching out the floor beneath him. There was no possible way to argue with an outraged Rouge, so he wouldn't even try. Sonic, however, hadn't quite grasped that concept yet and was still trying to combat the female's fury.

"Hey, don't look at me! I had nothing do to with this―!"

"Don't you even try to worm your way out of this one, Sonic Hedgehog! Hero of Mobius or not, you're both responsible!"

Sonic pulled a face and turned to Shadow. "It's a wonder you didn't go psycho sooner. She's worse than Amy when mad."

Shadow didn't say anything. He secretly agreed.

**. . . . .**

Tails was excited. No, that would be misleading – he was downright ecstatic! After weeks of searching for hide or hair of Sonic, they finally had a lead. Rouge had joined them after a prolonged absence also (every time they went to her place, she was never present – it was like she was avoiding them all. Suspicious!) and suggested that they all gathered at Tails' house in order for her to make a statement. The twin-tailed fox had sent word to all that were involved in the hectic search and rescue, namely Knuckles, Amy, Cream and Cheese, informing them that the winged female had an announcement to share on behalf of Sonic's location.

However, when she appeared just over an hour ago, the information she leaked was little more than instructions for them to remain at Tails' workshop until she returned later that day. Knuckles was instantly doubtful; Rouge was naturally shady by instinct, what if it was a plot to steal the Master Emerald whilst he loitered there like a sucker, awaiting her return? Amy was just as distrustful; what if the bat planned to make moves on her dearest Sonic? That would be unforgivable! Cream and Cheese merely shrugged and went to catch up with Tails, who bided his time by working on a little project to keep his overworked mind distracted until the bat reappeared.

The afternoon light was slowly dulling to make way for the dark skies of the night. Pessimism was replacing the optimistic views from before – was Rouge lying? Would it be within her nature to be so cruel?

"Nonsense," Knuckles exclaimed, brushing away the query passed on from the pink hedgehog. "The bat might be insane and devious, but she's not spiteful. Deep down, she cares about Sonic as much as any of us―except perhaps Tails. If she says she has information on him, then I believe her. We just need to have patience."

Amy merely sniffed, folding her arms. "Have patience? That's rich coming from you."

"Knock it off, you two!" Tails sighed, shaking his head. "You should be excited―Sonic is okay! I agree with Knuckles; Rouge hasn't lead us astray before so what right do we have to doubt her now?"

Knuckles smirked at the irritation upon Amy's face, though she said nothing further on the topic. She stomped outside instead, leaving the door wide open. The golden sun-rays pooled through the opening, casting a multitude of yellow hues spread across the wooden flooring. Tails shielded his eyes and gazed out towards the setting sun. He understood why everyone was beginning to doubt the jewel thief, but he had no other option but to hold his hopes high with her. They'd had next to no luck in locating the missing Hero – she was their only life line.

"How do you think she'll return? Flying?"

Knuckles shrugged slightly, adjusting his posture. "I assume so. I can't imagine her turning up in some posh car."

Tails nodded slowly. "True. I'm going to wait outside, it's too stuffy in here."

Knuckles concurred with the kit. The summer heat was notorious to remain extremely high, even during the night time in that particular zone. Tails' home housed decent air-conditioning, but even his impressive machines failed to combat such heat some days. This happened to be one of those days.

The kitsune regarded the Guardian with a small smile. "You have it the easiest, you know?"

Knuckles frowned at him. "What makes you say that?"

"Your complexion is perfect to disguise feeling all hot and bothered. You look as chilled as ever―not like you're suffering with the rest of us."

The echidna smirked, folding his arms. "That's one of the great things about being this shade of red―I never get sunburned."

"What about on your muzzle? It's pale like the rest of ours."

"Thick hides shield the UV rays," the red furry boasted proudly, "it makes it impossible for us to feel anything but extreme temperatures."

"A thick hide? That's your excuse for being so slow?" Knuckles dead-panned at the pink hedgehog who shrugged her shoulders, battering her eye lashes innocently. "What? It would explain a lot of things!"

"Yeah … like how to explain how your mouth got sown shut," he growled, visual daggers flying at the younger female, sticking out of her brain (in his mind, naturally). "Isn't there somewhere else for you to be?"

"Why would I be anywhere else when Sonic will be here soon?"

_'And I thought I had it bad with the psychotic bat,' _the Guardian mused internally. _'She's stuck to Sonic like some bad smell.'_

"Besides, you're not important in any of this―why are _you_ here?"

"I'll give you 'not important', you little brat ..." he muttered, lilac coloured hues flashing dangerously as he made small, itching steps towards the female. Tails caught on after a few seconds and pounced on the echidna, distracting him from his direct motives of performing surgery on the teen hedgehog's mouth, staggering from the extra weight. "What the―?"

"Stop!" the golden kit cried out, clinging to Knuckles like a life support. "Stop fighting!"

"Well, if he stopped being so dumb then I wouldn't need to point out his stupidity!"

"If you stopped being such a brat, maybe Sonic would take an interest in you."

A vein throbbed boldly situated upon Amy's forehead. A flash of movement and her infamous Piko-Piko Hammer was in her hands, armed and ready to use. "That's it! Time to smash!"

And then she pounced.

_Meanwhile – _

Cream was sitting in the swinging hammock joining two trees in Tails back garden, Cheese napping peacefully on the overly fluffed pillow. She was humming a merry tune to herself, contenting creating daisy chains to pass by the time. A pile of daises to her left provided the necessary compartments to build each pretty link-chain. She was making one for each of her friends – the one she was making now was for Sonic, when he showed up. She'd completed Amy's, Tails', Knuckles' and Rouge's; there was just Sonic left.

"I do hope they like them!"

She took the dainty chain in her hands and held it up to the setting sun. Fiery hues of gold, orange and crimson reflected cutely off the pristine white of the daisy petals, casting various tones across the lucid beauty. The young rabbit took a deep breath and smiled a smile so bright, it challenged the sun for luminosity. The chain was perfect and finally, she was finished with her flowery gifts. Cheerily, she poked her tiny slumbering friend, stirring her from her sleep.

"Come on Cheese! They're all done! Let's go give them to everyone!"

The chao yawned meekly but nodded all the same, blinking drowsily. Cream scooped up all the floral necklaces and hopped off the hammock, it swinging out behind her, giving Cheese a little more momentum that first anticipated; here meaning, she was sent flying forwards faster than she wanted and collided with Cream, their heads knocking together.

"Ouch!"

"Chao!"

"Are you okay, Cheese?" Cream asked, a small tear in the corner of her eye from the sudden thwack of pain to the rear of her cranium.

Cheese nodded, rubbing her forehead, which held a small red blotch above the natural blueish pigment to her skin. They shared a joyful laugh and the chao retrieved a daisy chain that had floated to the floor upon the moment of impact. With both adorning identical expressions of pure delight, they hastily rounded to the front of Tails' house, ready to call out with rapture in a greeting to reveal their handmade presents. However, when reaching the front lawn, they both stopped in their tracks (Cheese in mid-air), and stared with wide eyes at their friends – they were all fighting!

"No!"

"Chao!"

An unexpected voice called out in the middle of the disturbance, causing each combatant to halt in their motions, three sets of eyes searching around for the source. Amy was the first to see Cream standing there, looking absolutely appalled at the trio. Her emerald irises widened with surprise, before the shock faded away to give way to embarrassment. Knuckles was the second to make eye contact with the disheartened bunny. He was mid-motion of pulverising Amy with one of his spiked fists, but the moment Cream came in to his line of sight, he released Amy without hesitation, resulting in her landing hard on her backside, eliciting a grunt of dismay. He then folded his arms tightly across his furry chest and turned away from the rabbit, clearing his throat awkwardly whilst looking elsewhere. Tails was the last, perched oddly upon Knuckles' shoulders. He peered through his legs at the young girl, eyes wide and alarmed. He then released the red, floppy spines of the echidna and hopped down from his upper figure immediately.

Cream, however, stood there tapping her foot, looking incredibly unimpressed. "Shame on you all! Mr. Sonic will be back soon and you're all just fighting like children!"

Cheese mirrored Cream's exact visualisation. "Chao chao!"

The three of them shuffled with discomfort. It wasn't common for them to be told off by the young rabbit, but when they were … the guilt ate away at them for the remainder of the day. Tails was the first to move. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and offered the irked party an apologetic smile. "We're sorry Cream and Cheese. We just had a small fall out―it's sorted now though, right guys?" He turned and looked at them pleadingly. "... _Right_, guys?"

Amy sniffed, brushed a hand against her nose and nodded, grinning brightly. "Of course! Knuckle-head here and I were only pretending anyway! Isn't that right, Knuckles?" She slapped a hand on a crimson shoulder, smiling so sweetly it made the echidna feel like puking.

"Get your hand off of me." She removed it faster than she dared not to. "Yeah, we're playing. We'll continue playing another time."

Amy stuck her tongue out and him, Knuckles' eye twitching in response. Tails merely sighed, shaking his head. Though, whatever thoughts were entering his mind were brushed away by a sudden onslaught of a nature-y fragrance. Blinking, he looked down at Cream, who was positively beaming. Her big brown eyes radiated joy that was infecting every part of his mind easily, overriding all sense of horrible thoughts and ponders.

"Cheese and I made these for you! Everyone has one―Miss Rouge and Sonic have one too!"

Tails took the daisy chain in a hand gently while Cream went on her way to plant one over the necks of Amy and Knuckles, Cheese floating happily beside her. Such random acts of kindness were rare in those days; it was so bizarre that Cream remained so innocently pure after all that she had witnessed through the short span of her life. At seven years old, traversing the galaxy and ending up on remote planets at the edge of the galaxy with life forms just waiting to dissect you would scar any normal folk. The young rabbit was made of tough stuff, that was for sure. Tough and courageous, yet her heart was pure gold.

"Thank you," the twin-tailed kit said, loud enough for the youngster to hear. He received a simple response while she carried on in her naïve, all-loving ways. He toyed with one of the flowers, twiddling a petal between his finger and thumb. So carefree and true-hearted, it reminded him so of Sonic. He missed his best friend; his brother. He only hoped Rouge proved true to her word. Ocean blue orbs gazed up at the sunset for the final time that day and he turned to make his way back to his home, mind whirring, full of memories. "Sonic ..."

A spark of red energy flared to life. Tails jumped from the abruptly loud noise, along with Amy – Knuckles merely looked shocked, feet firmly planted on the floor. Another spark followed the first, conjoined with a dimly glowing light. Intrigued, the fox-kit moved closer to inspect the light. It seemed familiar, but why, he was not certain. Amy moved closer also, reaching out a hand experimentally, finger extended ready to poke through the abnormal blood-red light. He stared hard at it for a second longer, before recognition dawned – it was Chaos Control!

"Amy, move back! It's a Chaos field! Someone's using Chaos Control to get here! Move or you'll be sucked to God knows where!"

A shriek was all that was needed to inform him she had dashed back to a safe distance away from the light just as he had. Tails shot a look to Knuckles, who nodded and glared sternly at the light, prepared for the worst, but hoping for the best. Sonic was the only one of them alive known to harness the power to manipulate and control the Chaos energy needed for a Chaos Control teleportation. It was strange, though. Sonic's light was usually a bluish-green, not red. Nonetheless, they were ready for whatever the light produced.

Forms rigid, battle anticipated. The light flashed to a blinding state before fading almost instantly after, leaving behind three figures. Knuckles relaxed a little – he made out the form of Rouge, who waltzed straight over to his location, smirking deviously. He never understood why she looked at him like that. … Then again, he never really understood women in the first place.

The other two figures were oddly joined in the shadows of the light, until it wore off and revealed two hedgehogs, one leaning against the other, looking rather pale, bent over. The Hero of Mobius was instantly recognised and it took Amy mere seconds to scream suddenly and spring forwards in an attempt to ambush the unwary Sonic. Despite her intentions, the other hedgehog holding up Sonic had a different plan. He stepped straight in the firing line, a dark gaze plastered upon his face, lips upturned in a protective snarl. The pink furry stopped in her tracks, eyebrows shooting skywards, almost meeting her hair line from surprise.

The darker hedgehog was one they all presumed to be dead. How was he holding up a peaky looking Sonic, with a very defensive stance?

"_Shadow_!?"

Ruby eyes narrowed at his name being uttered, but he made no move to advance on the insolent female that wanted to attack Sonic in a weakened state. He remained put, being the sturdy support the blue blur required right then and there. Soon enough, Sonic seemed to be a little better – the effect of Chaos Control teleportation were some that he'd never get used to. He liked keeping his feet firmly glued to solid ground, thank you very much!

An exclamation of Shadow's name made him look up, seeing Amy standing only a few feet from his location, petrified. Shadow always had that effect on her; he scared her beyond her living wits sometimes. She'd never admit it to anyone but Sonic, though. That's when he remembered the ebony furry safeguarding him, like some guard dog protecting a pathetically weak creature. It spiked his annoyance and his mind pinned his sickly feelings upon the darker critters preferred method of travelling. He stood upright and shoved the spined fur-ball away from him with what strength he could muster, hands balled into fists with an angry expression. Shadow sent him a questioning glance, to which he responded with, "Damn you and your Chaos Control! You know it makes me feel queasy!"

The Ultimate Life Form fidgeted a little, holding up his hands peacefully. "It was the fastest way of traversing here. I know you said you were well enough to run, but I'd rather not chance your health on a stubborn claim―"

"Stubborn claim?" Sonic growled, stomping over to where the other hedgehog was. "It was the truth, not some lie! I was well enough to run!"

"Alright, alright ..." Shadow mumbled, backing away slightly to decrease the chance of Sonic abiding by his whims and striking out at him. He'd never fight back in such a situation, but he had the common sense to not like being a personal punching bag either. "Next time I'll take your word on it and ignore my greater concerns. Will that please you?"

"How about you stop butting in altogether? That'll please me!" the cobalt furry snapped, folding his arms and turning away.

"As you wish," Shadow sighed, turning away also.

Silence ensued for a brisk moment before it was broken by Amy's higher pitched intonation.

"Sonic! You're okay!"

A moment's warning was all the blue hedgehog got before she attached herself to him, grasping him tightly as though afraid he'd fade if she ever let go. She nuzzled her muzzle into the soft peach fuzz of his chest, contently closing her eyes whilst enjoying the one sided embrace. The speedster flailed for a second before righting his posture. A quick flicker of emerald eyes towards Shadow indicated that he was very uncomfortable with pink hedgehog being so close to his beloved. Sonic's inner demon played on this culmination and returned the close cuddle with renewed vigour. The reaction from the darker life form made being squeezed to death worth while.

Knuckles was the next to move, but instead of making his way to the blue hedgehog as Amy did minutes before, he instead went to Shadow. The elder of the two eyed him with apprehension. He knew of the Guardian's legendary temper and how quickly it ignited; only a fool would be relaxed. Though, when a spiked, gloved hand was thrust at him, awaiting the return of one of the most common gestures in the entire galaxy, Shadow hesitated for a split second before accepting the hand open to him. They gripped each other tightly before ruby eyes found the violet hues of the echidna. An abnormal sensation flowed between the two and when they released each others hand, Shadow only had a twitch of movement as the forewarning of an oncoming assault.

"You ever kidnap Sonic again and I'll hunt you down, hedgehog."

Shadow narrowed his eyes into a frown and merely nodded slightly from his new location upon the roof of Tails house. He'd evaded Knuckles' punch at the right time, leaving the red furry to swipe angrily at the air, irked by the agility of the black and red demon. He comprehended the vexation of the Guardian, but he didn't kidnap Sonic – he rescued him.

_'I guess to these creatures, it would seem like I stole him away.' _He knelt down on the tiled roofing, eyes locked upon the still entwined hedgehogs, expression dulling slightly. _'I know that her and I share one interest―the one thing I cherish more than life itself. It seems that she is winning right now. I've been out of the running for too long …'_

Out of nowhere, seemingly, a little rabbit appeared with a little chao flying beside her. She squealed with delight upon seeing Sonic there and ran to greet him with a hug. The blue blur happily acceded and hugged the youngster gently. The rabbit then released Sonic and placed a ring of flowers around his head – a flower necklace.

"I made this for you, Mr. Sonic!" she chimed cheerfully, tilting her head up to look at him better. "Cheese helped me!"

"Thanks Cream!" Sonic said, flashing her a dashing smile. He sniffed the white flower, breathing in deeply. "Smells pretty!"

"I know," the rabbit – Cream – agreed. "It's why we picked daises. They're pretty in smell and looks. We also made one for you too, Miss Rouge!"

"For me?" the ivory bat inquired, giving the smaller female a genuinely pleased grin. "You shouldn't have. Thanks, kid."

"You're most welcome!" Cream chirped, dancing around foolishly without a care in the world.

Shadow observed the whole scene, feeling a small hole within himself. It grew a little more with each time he felt non-acceptance to a place where he dreamed to be. Especially if Sonic was the one rejecting him. In all honesty, he cared not for what others thought of him, but the closest friends of his beloved had grown a little on him over their past adventures together. Certainly, they were far from friends, but he knew that if he ever needed one of them, for any reason, they would at least consider aiding him.

Except for maybe the pink one. She regarded him like a disease that she wanted none to catch. He could happily say that he felt the same for her. It was a mutual animosity.

But, still, as he watched them all interact and share feelings of happiness, he couldn't help but feel pushed aside. They all even had the flowery chains hanging around their necks. It was a small, insignificant thing, but it collided heavily with his conscience.

What if he was never accepted? What if Sonic never needed him again?

**. . . . .**

Later that same night, all the Mobian's were at Tails' workshop. The sun had long set and the night dominated the sky. Billions of sparkling stars glittered beside a shimmering moon, ghostly silver and hauntingly large. The majority of the party was inside, sitting in front of the warm fire burning in the fireplace. Each held a hot beverage in a personal mug, laughing mirthfully when someone told a joke, or conversing deeply if a certain topic popped up. All were happy and complete.

All except Shadow.

He sat outside in the hammock, rocking steadily back and forth, watching the stars glimmer thousands of miles above him. Millions of twinkling lights illuminated the unconsolidated grimace upon the ebony furry's features. None had bothered to approach him since he brought Sonic back, not even Rouge. The little rabbit from before had glanced up at him, gasped harshly with shock and had run off somewhere, not to be seen again. They assumed she returned home, thus held no concern.

It had hit Shadow a little hard. She'd run away like she was frightened of him. He didn't actually want to scare her, but had done so inadvertently.

_'So much time has passed since that fateful day. I still recall the betrayal portrayed upon his face at witnessing my decision. I wonder if that distrust still burns brightly as it did that day, or whether all this hatred has bloomed from me simply daring to live? I'm not certain, but I feel like nothing will ever be the same. Nothing … will be like before.'_

A rustle of a door handle occurred to his right, drawing his attention away from the stars briefly. A glimmer of hope shot through his system which was doused the instant Amy stepped outside. Plopping back down carelessly, he closed his eyes tightly, arms resting behind his head. The rocking continued as steady as ever, but stirring within Shadow was something less stable. It was the same feeling from earlier that day when he Chaos Blasted Rouge's cottage. His best chance was that she was out there to leave and go home. Alas, his luck proved again that even chance was against him.

"Shadow―can we talk?"

"No." His answer was short and snappy. Hopefully she got the gist and left him alone.

Then again, she did seem to have a death wish. "Oh, come on Shadow! I only want to talk―stop being so uptight."

He ground his teeth together roughly, clenching his hands into fists. He took it upon his better intentions and instead of demolishing every cell of her existence then and there, he settled for second best – ignoring her presence. … Although, that was very hard to do with someone such as her. She had no regard for personal space and parked her behind upon the end of the hammock, the steady swinging motion halting to make way for disarray. He peered out of a slightly opened eye, half tempted to wrap the girl up in the hammock and sit on the roof.

_'… No. If any harm comes to this girl, Sonic would never forgive me. Especially if I am the cause of the harm. I'll not touch a spine on her pink head. I'll not …'_

His monologue trailed off at the sensation prior flaring to life suddenly.

"_Destroy her."_

He sat up straight, startling the female on the end of the netted make-shift bed. _'What?'_

"Oh, so you are willing to talk! Good―"

_'Not now, you irksome little pest.'_

"―about Sonic," she finished, unaware of the confused frown sent her way.

"Sonic?" he echoed. "What about Sonic?"

"I've come to talk to you about him," she repeated slowly, as though talking to someone with much lesser intellect than herself. Shadow sniffed at her method, too distracted to be offended by her attempt to taunt him. "You should just do what you knows best for him and leave. Forever."

Okay, now she had his attention. "Leave? Why would I think about doing that?" he replied coolly, intimidating piercing blood-red eyes lowering to fix upon her form. "Why would I even consider such a thing?"

Amy stared at him with an unwavering determination set in the emerald hues she shared with Sonic. "Sonic is in a very weak state right now―mind and body. He thinks he's okay, but he's really not―"

"Any fool could decipher that," he input with an icy tone. She had better make her point fast – the attention needed to suppress the need to abide by the voice in his head and kill her was overwhelming. "State your point, girl. You're wasting my time."

Hardened jade irises held his gaze, unimpressed. "I'm not afraid of you, Shadow. You can't bully me into being scared. I suggest you just listen to me." A grunt in response told her he was listening. "I think you should leave. It would benefit Sonic in many ways―like lowering his stress levels from not having to look at you. We all appreciate that you _helped_ in saving Sonic from Silver, but in all honesty, none of us needed your help. What we do need, is for you to disappear back to whatever rock you came from under. None of us want to see you again, Shadow―you don't _belong_ here. You're not from this world, and don't belong here―you should find where you do belong … elsewhere, _away_ from Sonic. Do you understand?"

Shadow's hand was in front of his face and his figure was trembling. Amy frowned at the dark hedgehog – what was he doing?

"Shadow, I asked you if you understand―"

"... No, I do not."

"Well, then you mustn't be as smart as everyone says―" Amy began crossly, not wanting to linger around the 'abomination' of a hedgehog longer than necessary, only to pause in her sentence upon being interrupted by a malicious laugh.

"You are humorous, pest," Shadow mused, his tone the farthest reach from pleasant. He lowered his hand slightly to put the pink furry into view. Amy shook her head slightly in disbelief – was Shadow wearing contacts? His eyes were yellow – "So laughable in fact, I find myself unable to contain such mirth."

He then barked an unfriendly laugh loudly, making her flinch. She gathered her sinking bravery and jumped off of the hammock, to which Shadow stretched out casually on. She pointed a shaky finger at him, eyes burning with confidence. "You don't scare me Shadow―!"

"I do not?" Shadow vanished in a flash of purple light and appeared inches away from her face, eyes branded with sinister motives. "I shall remedy that for you shortly―you _should_ be fearful. I am what nightmares originate from―I am darkness incarnate."

"Sh-Shadow, back away!" she squeaked, back stepping a few steps. He matched each one with a forwards march of his own. "I m-mean it―I'll h-hit you!"

"Do so, if you dare," he taunted, stopping to stretch his arms out wide in a challenge. "Attack me as if your life depended on it―oh wait, it does. So no hesitation, girl―if you want to live, you had better house the strength to render me immobile. Otherwise ..." He needed no motion to inform her of what 'otherwise'.

Amy swallowed a large lump in her throat. Fear was spreading through her rapidly like poison, stagnating her muscles, them unwilling to cooperate unless it meant fleeing. But she couldn't escape the hedgehog before her, he was as fast as Sonic. She'd never match him in physical strength or ability either. She was hard-headed and stubborn, but she was not such a fool to pick a fight with Shadow – he wasn't known as the Ultimate Life Form for no reason.

"Shadow, let's talk about this―civilly," she began, attempting to reason with the sadistic furry. She wanted to live a little longer than just that night. "Sit back down―we can talk this out."

"Talking is for the weak and needy."

"Sh-Shadow, please, don't do this―"

"Already on the stage of pleading for your miserable life? That escalated quickly―how dull."

Amy was at the end of her excuses and resources. She'd backed away enough to reach the door, but before she'd even be able to grasp the handle, Shadow could've killed her ten times over. _'Why is it always me? I'm too young to die―not like this!' _

She screamed to which he responded with a nasty chortle. With whatever speed she possessed, she spun on the spot and grasped the door handle … only to be knocked aside by a sudden Chaos Spear splattering against the door, forming a hole to where her hand was seconds before. If not for her quick reflexes, she'd have no appendage left. She darted to the left, only to be halted by Shadow blocking her path, hand glowing bright purple with Chaos energy in preparation for another Spear. It was an odd colour combination for Shadow, but she thought nothing of it – she was a little preoccupied with running for her life. Sprinting to the right was her next choice, thwarted by him yet again. A devious smirk etched its way on his muzzle, spiking further fear and loath in her with each sight of it.

He danced around in a circle while she desperately tried to escape. There was no hope for elusive manoeuvres with one such as he, only vain attempts of vanishing with pitiful hope.

"Are we done? I tire of this dance and I have much better things to be doing."

"L-leave me alone!" Amy yelled, despair clogging the fearsome tone she pictured herself using. "Shadow―please! I don't want to die!"

"Too bad―the decision is mine to make."

The pink hedgehog fell to the floor in exhaustion. She had expelled all her energy in desperate tries to evade the quick hedgehog and she had failed each and every time. She had nothing left – she could only lay there, glancing up at the black monster intent on taking her life. He lifted his hand high in anticipation for the Chaos Spear … when the back door came flying open and something very fast shot from it, colliding harshly with the darker furry.

Amy screamed again and stayed on the floor, watching the two figures tumble through the grass, kicking and punching at each other. Eventually, they came to rest on the floor, Shadow pinning the obsolete attacker, readying his hand to plunge in to their abdomen. He faltered though upon witnessing Sonic laying beneath him breathing heavily, the energy in his hand dying instantly. His golden hues flickered and he jammed his eyes shut tight, hands flying to his head, a cry of pain echoing through the night. The Hero of Mobius took the opportunity to sock Shadow one right in his jaw, sending the one on top of him flying off of him. He let up no loophole for the darker one to slip through as he followed up with jumping on the face down hedgehog, securing his arms behind his back, mindful of his quills.

"Amy, go inside. Now."

The pink hedgehog needn't be told twice. She scrambled to her feet and scurried inside with her energy reserves. Once she was out of sight, Sonic let up a little upon the death grip he provided on Shadow, if only to let the other turn his head to view the one sat on him. He glared down at the perplexed crimson with furious emerald.

"Just what the hell is wrong with you? Were you seriously about to kill Amy?"

"I―I don't know―"

"You'd better know Shadow, because if you ever want to see me again, you'd better start discussing things with me. And I mean now."

Shadow's eyebrows furrowed together. He had no recollection of the past few moments – the last thing he remembered was minding his own business on the hammock when the insufferable girl came out to pester him.

"The last thing I recall is resting on the hammock and then the girl came outside. After that, I know of nothing until now."

Sonic's eyes narrowed. Could he really not remember, or was he taking him for a ride? "So, you remember nothing of trying to _kill_ Amy? If I hadn't had needed another drink, I wouldn't have heard the commotion and more than likely, one less hedgehog would be roaming this planet."

_'What? I never wanted to harm the pest―I did not do that!'_

"Sonic, I would never―"

"Save the crap, Shadow! Get out of my sight."

With his final piece said, he released Shadow and got off of him, striding away without looking back. Shadow watched him walk away, heart aching something terrible. "... I know I have done some … questionable … things in my past, but I thought you knew differently. I thought you … trusted me."

Sonic stopped at the door way, hand on the handle. He didn't look back, but Shadow could make his outline shaking somewhat. He stayed like that for a moment or two. "... I did trust you, Shadow. I trusted you with everything―my heart, my mind and my soul. You broke that trust that day―you also broke my heart. I … don't know if I can ever give you the same trust again."

_Slam_. The door shut and Sonic was gone, along with his words. However, they lingered in Shadow's head, playing over and over like a broken record.

"_I don't know if I can ever give you the same trust again."_

"_I don't know."_

"... Will I ever be able to give you the love I want to? What is more important―giving up my love for him forever, or holding on to something seemingly impossible?"

For once in his life, Shadow didn't know where to go.

**. . . . .**

Cream ran with all her might, Cheese gripping her shoulder with all her strength. She had to hurry back to Tails' place, otherwise she'd be late home for dinner and Vanilla would be very upset and worried. So, she ran as fast as her little legs would carry her, saving her energy for the flight home too. Eventually, Tails' condo came in to view, brightening her eyes immediately.

"We made it Cheese!"

"Chao!"

She slowed to a walk and went inside. Everyone greeted her with welcoming smiles, except for Amy, who looked a little weary. She had no time to question her friend; she was there on a mission before supper. Scanning the room with her doe-brown eyes, she frowned cutely upon not seeing one present that she required, and she questioned them on it.

"Where is Mr. Shadow?"

"Gone, if we're lucky," Amy snipped unhappily upon the mentioning of the 'monster'.

Knuckles rolled his eyes and pointed sky-wards. "He's probably on the roof again."

Cream nodded and ran outside, closing the door behind her politely. She wasn't born in a barn, after all! With haste she flapped her overly large ears, creating a powerful up-draft in order for her to reach the roof. She landed softly on the roof, searching the vicinity for said black hedgehog. She found him lounging idly on the edge of the chimney pot, star gazing. She approached him quickly, ensuring he knew she was there – the last she wanted was to scare him into falling off the roof!

Shadow sighed heavily, not bothering to gaze over at the rabbit. "What do you want?"

"I'm here to say sorry, Mr. Shadow!"

That caught him off-guard – she wanted to apologise? "What do you possibly have to apologise for?"

She smiled brightly at him as he sat up and she thrust an object in his hands. "There was none left around here so I had to fly a long distance to find some to make one for you. I hope you like it, but I must go now, Mr. Shadow. I'm late for dinner. Good night!"

And with that, the small rabbit hopped on the next whirlwind and was out of sight faster than one he'd seen leave before. Shadow blinked a few times before casting his eyes Earth-bound. That's when his heart gave a jump and a small urge to smile provoked his lips. He looked back up at the stars, with indeed, a small smile.

In his hands, he held a daisy chain.

_'Perhaps there is some hope left for me after all.'_

* * *

_**. . . To be continued.**_


End file.
